


Island Dreams

by Scathach_theShadow



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:14:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 119,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28711083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scathach_theShadow/pseuds/Scathach_theShadow
Summary: Aelin is a successful doctor in London but her life in the last year has started to take an unhappy turn and she feels overwhelmed. So one day she decides to take a break from her life, book a plane to Scotland and head off to the islands in search of peace and herself as well.Rowan has a bookstore in Stornoway, the main town in the Isle of Lewis.Aelin is a bookworm and her first mission once in Stornoway is to find a bookstore.
Relationships: Aedion Ashryver & Lysandra, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Rowan Whitethorn
Comments: 46
Kudos: 119





	1. Chaper 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first long and I am terrified. The idea popped in my head a few days ago and I decided to give it a try. I have no idea where I am going just yet but hopefully something decent will come out of it.
> 
> I am from Scotland so I am biased and also I love, adore, the Outer Hebrides which is the location of the fic. They are amazing, incredible islands on the west of Scotland that stole my heart a few years ago when I visited. Most of the locations mentioned in the fic are real.
> 
> Also, in my head in Modern AU Rowan is Scottish and he is from the islands. There is nothing that will change my mind.
> 
> On the islands Gaelic is still spoken and I will use it from time to time in the fic. I hope it’s grammatically correct. It’s been years since I studied it and I am rusty. I will add a translation.
> 
> Most of the emotions that Aelin will feel while travelling around the islands are mine. What I felt when I was there.

Aelin was on the deck of the ferry. The frigid wind was savage against her cheeks. She tugged closer her jacket and a shiver ran down her spine. She was freezing but she had no intentions to get back inside the ferry. She had left Ullapool early that morning on her way to Stornoway on the isle of Lewis.  
She needed a getaway. An escape from the busy life in London and from the bad turn her life had taken.  
Without thinking, she went to grab the ring that was at her fourth finger on her left hand to then quickly realise it was not there anymore. And then remembered the reason why the band was missing. The nasty divorce she just had to go through was another reason, if not the main one, for the fact the she had now been on a ferry for almost two hours and a half.

The landscape had been breathtaking, other reason for why she was braving the cold. Once departed Ullapool, all around her there were mountains and the raw wilderness of the landscape tugged at something hidden in her. She was born and bred in London and skyscrapers, traffic and noise was all she knew. She realised she craved this: the stillness, the peace, the silence, nature.  
In front of her the sea stretched peacefully and she was glad the sailing had been smooth that day. It seemed like the west of Scotland was welcoming her with a beautiful sunny day, apparently something quite unusual according to some of the people she heard speaking. The Minch, that was the name of the stretch of sea that separated mainland Scotland from the Outer Hebrides.  
At the horizon she noticed land appear timidly and a big smile spread on her face. She was almost there. Her new adventure was about to start. She had taken a sabbatical from work and from her life and decided to go away. She had always been fascinated by Scotland but never had the chance to visit, albeit from London it was only an hour away by plane. So, one day she booked a one way plane ticket to Glasgow, rented a car at the airport and slowly and leisurely started to make her way north.  
She had taken her time and the journey took her a week and she was already in love with the West coast of Scotland.  
While in London she had bought a guide to Scotland and started doing some research and she had been fascinated by the chapter about the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides. Now she was dying to get off the boat and start exploring and living the island life.  
Over the tannoy she heard the crew announcing they were approaching land. She grabbed her rucksack and made her way down below and waited in queue near the stairs to get to the car deck. She felt giddy. She hasn’t been this giddy in… she couldn’t even remember last time she had felt like this, or if she ever that way at all.  
The boat was finally berthed and all tucked in at the pier and a crew member advised the car drivers that they could now access the car deck.  
She went to her car and looking ahead she noticed the bow slowly opening to let the cars out. It was her first time on a ferry and even the mere disembarkation process was fascinating.  
One by one all the cars in front of her were directed by the car deck crew to exit and once she was out she took her phone and set up her GPS. She had rented a place for a while and according to the landlord’s directions, once out of the terminal she had to turn right and at the junction turn right again. Her place was one of the many small detached houses along the bay. She fell in love with the house almost immediately when she saw the pictures on the ad online. It had an amazing view of the marina from the bedroom window according to the images and the description. She drove for 5 minutes and the voice told her she had arrived. She parked in the driveway and got off the car and stared at her new place for the time being. The house was painted a very light blue, a small garden at the front and a lovely blue door as a final touch. She grabbed the keys from the secret place she was told and made her way inside the building.  
The house was modern and cozy. The owner clearly looked after the property and it actually felt like home. The living room had a big sofa and against the walls a couple of bookcases filled with books. She made a mental note to browse the titles later on. She wanted to explore the house first.  
She moved to the next room and found the kitchen. A wonderful wooden and rustic kitchen with a big window that made the light filter in the room. In the middle a wooden table and a couple of chairs. The whole placed smelled like a forest. Her tour took her upstairs to the bedroom and the connected bathroom. The room was quite huge and had a nice king size bed again all made of wood. Childishly she let herself fall on the bed and it was amazing. The bathroom had a big shower room and again was quite modern with wood finish everywhere. The owner definitely loved the rustic style and she was not complaining. It was perfection and she already felt at home.  
Her telephone rang breaking the peace and she smiled when she noticed it was her best friend Lysandra. She had been giving her a day to day account of her adventure with a massive amount of photos as well.  
“I love it.” She exclaimed excited, sitting on the comfy chair at the opposite side of the bed.  
“What?” Asked the woman on the other side of the line.  
“This place. I just got into the house I rented and Lys, this place is marvellous. And the town… I have only seen the marina but I can so, see myself staying here.”  
“And abandon London forever?” The woman sounded quite sad.  
“You are the only person I would really miss, you know that.”  
“Gee, I am touched.”  
“Lys… the last year… well you know.” Aelin took a deep breath and lounged deeper on the chair.  
“I know darling, I know. I didn’t mean that. I miss you. But I know that you needed this. You haven’t been yourself in a while.” Lysandra replied with a loving tone.  
She and Lysandra had been best friends since uni. They went through med school and did their internship together and after they finished they were lucky enough to get to work in the same hospital. They both had raised the ranks pretty quickly and Lysandra had become a kickass orthopaedic surgeon and Aelin had ventured into cardio thoracic surgery. She was good at her job and loved it deeply but the last year had been literally hell for her.  
She had been robbed of the chance of becoming head of the department because they gave the position to the son of the current head of the department. And that’s when she started to loose the will to do her job. She kept going on for the patients.  
Then Chaol happened and their nasty divorce. Married five years and then months spent battling for divorce and papers and courts and lawyers. He told her she loved her job more than him. They fought. He told her she had changed and she was not anymore the person he married. Then he left her for another woman. As a present she had served him with divorce papers.  
She heard Lysandra’s voice and realised she was woolgathering.  
“What?”  
“I was saying that your ex was in the A&E yesterday, with his new woman.”  
“What did he do?”  
“Looks like he was horse riding with her and he took a bad fall. His right leg was a big mess and I need to fix it now.” Lysandra paused for a moment “I hope it’s ok.”  
“Of course Lys. He is a patient.” Aelin admitted quickly. She hated him but not to the point that she wished him to be denied care.  
“He…” Lysandra was hesitant “He asked me about you.” Then she heard her friend laugh “I told her that you were off, taking a break gallivanting around Scotland and making legions of scotsmen fall in love and at you feet professing their undying love to you.”  
Aelin laughed out loud at the joke.  
“Leave some for me by the way…”  
“What about Aedion? I thought you had the hots for him.” Aelin stood and walked to the window and opened it to let the sea breeze come in.  
“I do, but I can’t be always the one to make the first move. I gave him a few very clear hints. Now it’s his turn.”  
“Poor man.”  
“Poor me.”  
Aelin heard in the background the sound of a pager.  
“Is that yours?”  
“Damn yes, Ae, I gotta go. Send me loads of pictures. Love you.”  
Lysandra hung up and Aelin stared at the window. The bay was peaceful, with sounds of seagulls and people going about their lives. She smiled and decided it was time to explore and most of all grab some food. She was starving. On the map she spotted a big Tesco nearby perfect for grocery shopping.  
She took her backpack and left on foot. No car needed for now, she wanted to see the centre of the town.  
She followed the same road she came from the terminal and saw on the corner an interesting building with huge windows and she walked toward it. She arrived and noticed it was called An Lanntair, apparently a community and arts centre with a cinema as well. She entered the place and straight in front of her she noticed a corner selling books and souvenirs. She rushed to the books. Some of them were in the other language spoken on the islands which she had learned was called Gaelic and that still quite a few people spoke. The books were interesting but not enough. She moved to one of the ladies at the counter.  
“Hi, I am new here. I arrived this morning and I am out exploring. Do you happen to have a bookshop around here?”  
The lady smiled warmly at her “Aye, lass… just go out here and then right on Cromwell st. and then right again. Rowan has a lovely bookshop. He is quite good and always has interesting titles. Down the road we also have a public library if you are moving here. Not as good as Rowan’s place but still worth visiting.”  
“Thank you.” Aelin greeted the woman and left, curious to visit this bookstore.  
She followed the directions and there it was. In front of her stood the bookstore. It had three windows, she moved closer and noticed that the main window and it had a very lovely display of children’s books with all the stories from Roald Dahl. She smiled. She loved Roald Dahl. She looked up and noticed the name of the shop “Aislingean pàipeir”. It must have been in Gaelic because she had no idea what it meant. A good excuse to chat with the owner.  
She entered the shop and the doorbell rang alerting the owner of her presence. She reached the counter but no one was there. “Hello?” She called out looking around for a sign of life.  
“Hi, anyone here? The door was open.”  
“Tha mi a ’tighinn a-nis” said a deep voice from a corner of the shop.  
The man, Rowan she assumed appeared and she almost forgot how to breathe.  
He was tall. Well over 1.90m, silver hair and short and eyes of the deepest green. His skin looked tanned and he had a nice healthy build. He was one of the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.  
“You must be Rowan.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here. The fairy of inspiration is busy at work.  
> See end notes for the Gaelic translation and more info on the places mentioned in the chapter.  
> Happy reading.

“You must be Rowan.”  
The man took a step toward her and gave her a wide smile and she felt butterflies in her stomach. He was wonderful and she had to restrain herself and not swoon live a lovestruck teenager.  
“Aye, it’s me. Sorry, I was through the back putting away an order.” He explained.  
He had the sexiest Scottish accent, which she thought must be a local one as it was similar to the ones she had heard around town.  
“I…” she muttered indicating at the window with her hand “I… love the window with Roald Dahl, by the way. I read all his book when I was younger and I still love him.”  
He walked to the counter and leaned against it and folded his arms at his chest. His t-shirt tightened at the movement and she noticed the muscles in his arms and the tattoo slithering from his wrist all the way under the sleeve. Why was it hot all of a sudden?  
“He was a great writer.” He timidly smiled at her.  
Aelin nodded “I am new. I am Aelin.” She explained vaguely “I got here this morning. I was at the community centre and I asked for a bookstore and the lady there told me to come here. I am obsessed with bookshops, especially if they are small and independent." she explained, realising she was chatty all of a sudden.  
She saw him wince in annoyance and wondered if she had said something wrong. But the moment was gone and his smile came back pretty quickly.  
“Well, you are in the right place. I got a bit of everything. And if I don’t, let me know and I can order it for you.”  
Aelin smiled back at him and she started looking around the shop and enjoyed the view of the walls with bookcases full of books. She walked around exploring the shelves and stopped in front of the fantasy section.  
“Fantasy reader?” He commented when he noticed where she went.  
“Are you one of those snob people who thinks that Fantasy books are not real books?” Her tone was almost accusatory. She loved Fantasy books but on plenty occasions she had to defend her literary tastes to idiots.  
“I own a bookstore. I respect all kind of books.”  
She started browsing and he followed her with his gaze.  
“You are not from around here, are you?” He pulled away from the counter and walked toward her.  
“I am….” She took a book from the shelf “I am from London.”  
“The capital.” His tone was flat and non interested.  
“Not a fan?”  
She turned to him and saw him shaking his head in dissent.  
She was about to tell him why she was on the islands but it seemed like a stupid idea. She did not know him, plus she was not in the mood to talk about her life down in London.  
“This one seems interesting.” Aelin picked the book and stood. Sounded like the female main character was badass and she loved badass females. “Was it Gaelic what you spoke when I came in? And what is the name of your shop?”  
Rowan did not answer and moved with purpose toward one shelf and picked up a book and got back to Aelin “Here.” He offered her the book “If you are interested. It can be a challenging language but it’s very beautiful.”  
Aelin grabbed the book and she noticed it was a course book to learn Gaelic and it was for beginners.  
“Thank you.”  
“Tapadh leat.” He told her “That’s how you say thank you in Gaelic. Your first lesson.”  
Aelin tried to pronounce the sentence again but it was not as lovely as how he said it.  
Rowan laughed and Aelin admired a nice smile blossom on his face and his green eyes seemed to shine even brighter. He was gorgeous and all she wanted to do was to run her hand through his short hair. What was wrong with her?  
“The name of the shop is paper dreams.” He replied to her question and again she noticed that touch of sadness in his eyes. And he did not elaborate any further. Somehow, given his reaction, she felt there was a history behind the name but she did not want to pry.  
“I love it.”  
He put the book on the counter near the till and silence fell between them.  
“I have a car. What do you recommend me to see in town and around?”  
“How long are you staying? So I have an idea.”  
Aelin placed the book on the counter “A while.” She was vague and for now that was all she knew. She was certain of one thing at the moment. She was not in a hurry to go back to London and her life. She searched in her bag for her purse while he was ringing the books through the till.  
“Did you just came off the boat this morning?” He asked, lifting his eyes to look at her.  
“I did.”  
“Breakfast.” He said and groaned at himself for not uttering a full sentence like a fully grown human being “I know a good place for breakfast. I can tell you some places to visit while you eat.”  
“I would love to.” She tapped her debit card at the machine and once it beeped conforming that the transaction had gone through, she put the purse away and and took the bag from him.  
“Come.” He came out of the counter and motioned for her to the door. He turned the sign to close and once they were out he locked the shop.  
“Aren’t customers going to complain that you are closed?” She joked.  
“Mornings are quiet.”  
They started walking and for a moment she thought they were going to An Lanntair but he turned again and they were on a side road and she noticed a small cafe. It had a couple of tables outside. They went in and a tall dark haired woman smiled and walked to Rowan as soon as she noticed him entering the coffee shop  
“Madainn mhath, mo ghràidh.” She caressed his face and he smiled brightly at the woman.  
“Madainn mhath.” He replied and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.  
Aelin studied the interaction with interest.  
“Let’s sit.” He said to her and she noticed that he was a man of a few words and that very rarely smiled.  
They sat down at a table. The woman came to the table and started speaking in Gaelic but Aelin had no idea what she was saying. And she had a feeling the woman realised that, but Rowan came to her rescue.  
“Chan eil i Gàidhlig aice.” Rowan explained.  
“Oh, I am sorry darling.” The woman reverted to English and gave her a menu “If you are in for breakfast, this is the menu. Give me a shout when you are ready to order.”  
“I’ll take a coffee.” Rowan said and leaned against his chair.  
Aelin finally ordered her food and while she waited she took out her guide from her bag “So… I have marked down a few things. Let me know if they are worth it or not.”  
Rowan took the book from her hands and started looking at the pages that had been marked by post-its. “Callanish is an amazing site. Very historical. You definitely have to do it. You can get in touch with your pagan side. Then drive up to Dun Carloway which is an amazing broch. Then continue all the way to Gearrannan, the black house village. Quite a charming place. If you then walk all the way down to the beach you will have the Atlantic Ocean in front of you.” He used the map in the books and pointed at the places for her while he explained. Stay on the main road and this will take you north. Near Barvas there is a house that has a whale bone arch at the front. It’s quite impressive. After a bit of driving you arrive at the end of the road. There is a lighthouse and that is the Butt of Lewis.”  
Aelin giggled at the name but Rowan almost glared at her.  
“The views from there are quite amazing and once at the edge of the cliff you are surrounded by sea. Very near there there is a great beach called Eoropaidh and you can walk there if you follow a path.” He finished and pushed the book back to her.  
The coffee shop owner came back with their order and Aelin’s mouth was watering at the plate in front of her.  
“That sounds like a good plan for a day.” She commented while attacking her plate of food. “This is so good.” Aelin had a very satisfied look and was loving her generous portion of full Scottish breakfast.  
She lifted her eyes and noticed that Rowan was staring at her with a curious expression.  
“What?” She said before eating a piece of bacon “Hey don’t look at me like that. I just arrived. I am still a tourist and I intend to do all the silly tourist things.”  
A brief smile appeared on his face “Along the road that follows the river there is the tourist office. You might want to buy your fridge magnet and beat the horde of tourists that will be flocking here soon.”  
“Well…” she dragged and took a sip of her coffee “I might just as well do that. A nice tacky one that says Stornoway.”  
“It’s your money.” He added almost annoyed and his head turned outside to stare at the street. Finally he grabbed his coffee and emptied the cup.  
“Have to go back to the shop.” Then he stood “Have a nice day.” And he left before she had the time to blurt out a reply. What a strange man. She thought. He felt as if he was detached from the world. The only moments he noticed some emotion in him was inside the bookshop.  
“Don’t feel offended.” Said a voice at her side. Aelin stopped eating and noticed the coffee shop owner at her side sporting a big grin “He is like that with everyone. It takes him a while to get close to people. He wasn’t always like that.” The woman added with sadness and sat beside her on the chair that Rowan had vacated.  
“I am Maeve by the way. And Rowan is my nephew.”  
Aelin’s hand holding the fork stopped halfway on its way to her mouth. She had so many questions but she restrained herself.  
“I am Aelin.”she then added as soon as her brain started working again “I got here this morning. I met him at the bookshop. I went there straight away. I am obsessed with small independent bookstores.”  
“He has done a wonderful job with his shop,” she explained with pride in her voice “So, Aelin, do you have any adventures planned yet?”  
Aelin nodded eagerly. She was actually dying to get the car and follow the route Rowan had suggested “Rowan gave me some good ideas. I will finish breakfast, go to Tesco to buy some food for lunch and then that’s me off.”  
“Don’t be silly.” Maeve stood and went to the counter, leaving Aelin alone to finish her breakfast.  
The woman came back fifteen minutes later with a bag for her “I put a few sandwiches in it. They are all fresh. There is some fruit as well and a cake that we made this morning.”  
Aelin had no words. She went to take her bag to pay the woman but Maeve put a hand on her arms to stop her “It’s on me.”  
“I… thank you.” The she stopped for a second “Tapadh leat,” she added, remembering what Rowan had taught her earlier on, but she was embarrassed by her horrendous pronunciation.  
“Na can guth.” Maeve laughed “We’ll make a Gaelic speaker out of you in no time.” And placed a hand on her shoulder.  
“An open heart surgery might be much easier than me learning a language.”  
Maeve looked at her with a puzzled expression.  
“I am a cardio thoracic surgeon… I am…” she paused “I am just taking a break from life.”  
Maeve smiled again with a tender expression “You are in the right place for that, darling.”  
Aelin finally grabbed her backpack, the bag with the books and the bag with food provisions that Maeve gave her and stood. Then she did something quite unexpected. She hugged Maeve. And although the woman was a complete stranger she liked her already.  
“I’d better go.”  
“Go and drive safely.”  
Aelin smiled and left the coffee shop.

It was late afternoon when Aelin finally reached the Butt of Lewis. The northernmost point in the island and the place was wild. And breathtaking.  
She had Maeve’s amazing lunch at Callanish. She sat with her back against one of the massive standing stones and ate while taking in the beauty of the landscape around her. She did embrace her pagan side, a side she did not know she had, and also hugged the stones.  
She had followed Rowan’s directions and she loved every moment of it. And now she was out on the cliffs while a savage wind was ravaging the coast. It was so strong that she had struggled to get out of her car and she finished the remains of her lunch inside. But then she put on her windbreaker jacket and her beanie hat and got out, camera at the ready. She took a few photos and sent a nice selection to Lysandra and then sat down and kept staring at the waves crashing almost angrily against the cliffs. The air smelled of sea and she felt a deep peace settling in her bones.  
The quiet was broken a moment later by her phone.  
“Hi Lys.” She answered.  
“I am so jealous right now that you have no idea. I just finished a five hours surgery, I am starving and then you send me those amazing pictures.”  
“I feel at peace, Lys. For the first time in a very, very long time I feel at peace and content.”  
“I am glad to hear it, darling.”  
Aelin was silent for a moment. She heard some noises on the line and she realised Lysandra was in the cafeteria.  
“So, Aedion finally asked me out.” Lysandra confessed happily and Aelin squealed.  
“About time.” Aelin took a bite of her apple and closed her eyes and let herself feel the wind on her face.  
“Yes, he was quite charming. We are going out tonight. My shift should over at four.”  
“Lys I am so happy for you.” And she was. Her friend deserved that happiness. She did not have an easy life and hadn’t been very lucky in her previous relationships. She definitely needed a break and Aedion was a good guy, albeit a bit slow in realising that Lysandra was head over heels for him.  
“Found a gorgeous Scottish man yet?”  
Aelin was about to tell her about Rowan but she stopped and decided not to. Not yet. Lysandra would have started planning their wedding already if she had told him about him.  
“Not yet.” Another bite of her apple and then she decided to lay down on the grass “But I found a bookstore.”  
“Of course you did.” Lysandra was silent for a moment “Not to spoil your day but Chaol’s surgery went okay. He will need a couple of months of rest and then physio but he will be fine. Just so you know.”  
“Good for him.” It was all Aelin could muster. She was relieved his surgery went fine, she had no doubts about Lysandra’s skills, but the mention of his name had the power to sour the perfect day she had so far.”  
“You are mad at me.”  
“No Lys. I just… can we please not talk about my ex husband?” Her tone turned acid for a moment. He had the power, to make her mad.  
“Sorry.”  
Then Aelin sighed a felt bad about being an arse with Lysandra. She had been the only person who had been at her side. She offered her a place where to stay when she moved out of the house she shared with Chaol. She supported her all the way through and she did not deserve her anger “I am not mad at you, you know that?”  
“I know. And you know that I am not on his side. He was wrong and I am on your side. Team Aelin forever.”  
Aelin laughed “You are.” Then Aelin sat up again and stared at the sea. Then her back went rigid as she spotted something in the sea. It was a fin. After a while the top of the animal breached the surface of the water and Aelin screamed in delight.  
“Lys, there is a whale.”  
“What?”  
“A whale, there is a whale in the sea.” She stood and went as safely as possible to the edge of the cliff.  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes.” She screamed, incapable to contain her excitement “It’s far too big to be a dolphin.” She now wished she had binoculars. She made a note to ask Rowan if there was a place in town where she could buy a pair. She put the phone of the ground and she forgot that she was on the phone with her friend. She just stood and stared and the magnificent sight in front of her.  
When she picked up the phone five minutes later she noticed the call was finished and she had a text from Lys saying she had to go back to work, that she loved her and that she will give her an update about her date with Aedion. Aelin texted her back and went back staring at the sea. Then she grabbed her backpack and began walking the trail leading to Eoropaidh beach.  
Once at the beach she was stunned. The path had wound through sand dunes and it felt like being in a desert. And now she was staring at the pristine and crystal blue water in front of her. She wanted to jump in the water, she would have done it if it wasn’t that it was ice cold. Hypothermia was not in her current plans. She removed her shoes, dropped her backpack on the sand and made her way to the water. A few steps and waves were gently caressing her ankles. The beach was on a lower level and she was a bit more sheltered from the wind. She closed her eyes and stood. immobile. She never had the time to just stand still and she relished the moment.  
She had been on the island for less than a day but she already felt as if that place had stolen her heart and soul. She thought that one day she might even enjoy the idea of settling down here and the realisation brought her a pang of joy.  
She left the water and went back to her belongings and sat down on the sand, retrieved her book and started reading.  
It was May and she was not aware of the fact that days, in the very north of Scotland were very long. She looked at her watch and gasped. It was 9pm and it was still day. She swore and collected her stuff quickly. She had finished the book she had bought from Rowan and now she had the excuse to go and visit him again and see if he had the following ones in the series.  
Reluctantly, she got back in the car and began the drive back to her place.  
A big grin stamped on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaelic  
> “Madainn mhath, mo ghràidh: good morning, my dear  
> Chan eil i Gàidhlig aice ; she does not speak Gaelic  
> Na can guth: don't mention it
> 
> Fun fact: the first time i was at the Butt of Lewis the wind was savage just like in the story. I could not open the door of my car and I did stay in the car for lunch. Been there done that. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all and welcome to chapter 3.
> 
> So, thing are starting to happen and, alas, angst has decided to come and pay a visit.  
> I used HoF for a bit of inspiration.
> 
> Some Gaelic for you:  
> suidh sìos - sit down
> 
> The light issue at the very beginning: Yes, in Scotland, in the summer, it can get quite difficult to sleep. Day are super long and it's easy to have light until late and back again at 3am.
> 
> I have read it twice before posting. But I had a very long day at work and if I have left some typos I apologise.
> 
> Happy reading!

Aelin had woken up early that morning. She had forgotten to close the curtains the previous night. She had gotten home quite late from her trip and she was grateful that the supermarket stayed open until late because she still had to buy food for the house. She had whipped up a quick dinner, a shower and then she had tucked herself on the chair in her room. It was so bright outside that she could not force herself to go to bed. Eventually tiredness caught up with her and she gave up.  
Because she forgot to close the curtains, now it was broad daylight even if it was just 4am. She rolled on the other side and tucked her head under the pillow and went back to sleep.  
She awoke again two hours later. Apparently the adrenaline of being in a new place was too much. So she got up and decided she could go for a run. She donned her running clothes and she left the house. She had spotted a place called Lews castle and from the map it seemed the perfect place for a run in a park. Aelin followed the marina cut through the town centre, passed Rowan’s shop and ended up near the river. Then crossed the small bridge to reach Lews’ castle grounds. Quickly she took a mental note of the fact that the place was a museum and added it to the list of places to visit, which by the way was getting longer by the minute and kept running a good hour until her body started to protest. The day was gorgeous again and they were blessed with a stunning blue sky. Aelin ran found her way back to a road that took her on a pier along the sea. Finally decided to sit at the bench and relaxed a bit, taking a full mouthful from her water bottle. In London she had little chance of running in parks so she had to use a gym but here… she could run in the nature and it made all the difference.  
A few elderly people greeted her as they passed the bench and that was something else that stunned her. Complete strangers greeting her. She removed the headphones from her ears and decided to listen to the sounds of the place around her.  
She had always considered herself a die-hard city girl. Someone who could never leave the hustle and bustle of the big city. Her soul craved the frenetic life that London gave her. And now, in her early thirties, with her life completely upside down and on pause she was starting to realise that things had changed so much from when she was young. All of sudden her priorities had turned and a quiet life was all she wanted. She needed to slow down. Her ambition had helped her to secure a position quite high in her job. But that ambition had not helped her to reach the top. She had literally given her life to her job. She had sacrificed so much and it had been all for nothing and came to the realisation that she felt lost. For the first time in her life she could not see the path ahead. And that was why she had left. To try and live day by day for a while and learn to enjoy life again hoping that life in a quiet place like Stornoway would give her purpose again.  
“Oh Aelin, stop maudlin.” She told herself, getting fed up with the dark twist her thoughts had taken.  
She sighed and stood and started running again, tracing her path back to the town centre.  
Eventually went back to the house, took a shower and an hour later she was ready to head off to Maeve’s for breakfast. She was quite eager to taste her cakes. The woman had given her a slice of a chocolate cake the day before and Aelin had admitted it was of the best cakes she had ever tasted.

Twenty minutes later she reached the coffee shop and was happy to see that it was open. It was just about 9am and wasn’t not sure yet when life on the islands actually started.  
“Madainn mhath” she said, feeling like an idiot for her horrendous pronunciation. Once she noticed the shop was empty she felt better. At least she did not embarrassed herself in front of an audience.  
“Oh, Madainn mhath, a Aelin.” Said the woman from behind the counter “Are you here for breakfast?”  
Aelin took a seat at a table near the counter “Yes, but not Scottish breakfast this morning. I don’t think I can survive it tow mornings in a row.”  
Maeve laughed “I made some lovely apple turnovers, fancy one?”  
Aelin’s mouth began watering. If they were as good as the cake… “Make it two. I went for a run and I am starving.”  
Maeve disappeared through the back and came back a bit later with a tray with a mug of coffee and the apple turnovers.  
“I am going to get so fat.” She said out loud and then began tackling her breakfast and listened to the music in the background. It was a female singer and she sang in what Aelin was positive was Gaelic. Rowan was right. It was such a beautiful language and sung was even better. “Who is the singer?”  
“She is Julie Fowlis. She is from North Uist and sings mostly in Gaelic. She is a great singer.”  
The tune was slow and it seemed quite sad.  
“This song is called Mo Dhòmhnallan Fhèin, and it means My own Donald. It’s a sad love story.”  
“It’s beautiful.” She commented and corrected herself quickly “The language, I mean, not the sad love story.”  
“Ask Rowan and he will give you plenty of suggestions of bands you can discover if you want to listen to locals or Gaelic singers.” The woman explained and took a seat in front of her sipping her own cup of coffee.  
Aelin had such good vibes from the woman. She was very maternal to her and towards Rowan as well. She was curious to know more about their relationship. Something told her that it was deeper than it seemed.  
“And if you are still here in July you cannot miss Heb Celt. It’s a wonderful festival of Scottish music. It’s a three day event but it brings people from across all of Scotland and oversea as well.  
“It sounds wonderful.”  
“You just have to stay a bit longer.”  
Aelin sighed “I have been here only a day and I already feel as my soul has been stolen by these islands. I…” she paused, she felt like she could talk to Maeve. “I left my life in London for now. I needed a break before crumpling down for good.”  
Maeve put a hand on Aelin’s arm “As I told you yesterday, this is the perfect life. Island life here is a cure for the soul.” Said the woman squeezing the arm gently “Want to talk about it?”  
Aelin took a sip of coffee to gather her thoughts “Big job delusion and a bad divorce.” She did not have the mental strength to go into too much detail. It still hurt too much and Lysandra was the only person with whom she could fully talk about her life. “I feel lost and stuck.”  
A flicker of deep tenderness appeared in Maeve’s eyes “Sounds like you and Rowan could help each other.”  
Aelin whipped her head in the direction of the woman and stared at her.  
“He is stuck too.” That’s all Maeve volunteered. The woman stood as soon as a customer entered the shop. She greeted the man and they began a conversation in Gaelic.  
Aelin was staring at her empty plate and was still pondering about the comment that Maeve made about her nephew. What did she mean by they could help each other? And why was he stuck? She wanted to know more but could not ask him. He seemed like the very reserved type and she had no intention to pry.  
Once her plate was clear and breakfast over, she stood and was about to leave when Maeve reached her and gave her a take away cup “Could you please bring this to Rowan? He should be opening his shop now.”  
“Of course.”  
Aelin said her goodbyes to the woman and left, taking the path to Rowan’s shop. She had to buy the next books in the series anyway so she was just catching two birds with one stone.  
Once she got to the shop she noticed it was open. She entered and Rowan was at the counter working on the computer.  
“Madainn mhath.” She tried again.  
He looked up and noticed her and a brief and quick smile appeared on his lips but not genuine enough to reach his beautiful green eyes.  
“Morning to you.” He replied almost annoyed.  
“I bring coffee. Courtesy of your aunt.” Aelin offered him the cup but the reaction she got from him was unexpected.  
He glared at her “What did you say?”  
“Coffee from your aunt?”  
“How do you know Maeve is my aunt?” His tone was now tinged with anger.  
“She told me.”  
He ignored the cup of coffee and continued working as if Aelin was not even in the shop “She shouldn’t have.”  
“Is that a secret?”  
“It was not her place. And it’s definitely none of your business.” Rowan was mad. It was clear from his facial expression, but she could not understand why such a statement would make him so mad.  
Aelin placed the cup on the counter with a bit too much force “Don’t worry she did not reveal any big secret. Your fucking perfect life is safe.”  
He slammed the pen on the desk at her tone “What do you want? You delivered the coffee, your job is done.”  
Aelin was now fuming.”What do I want?” Her tone dripped vitriol. If he wanted a fight, she was giving him one. “I was being nice.” She put the backpack on her shoulder, ready to leave “I was here to buy the next books in the series I got yesterday. I came here to thank you as well for the suggestions you gave me yesterday because I loved every place you recommended." she took a deep breath and tried to calm her fury "And while I am here how do you say asshole in Gaelic?” She noted his reaction and she knew she had gone too far. That was her bloody problem, she had no filters and sometimes she struggled to connect brain and mouth before speaking. Something she had become pretty good at doing during her many fights with Chaol.  
Not her proudest moment.  
He left the counter and went to the shelf where she got the book the day before. He came back a moment later with three books in his hands “I don’t have the last one. I can order it.”  
“Leave it. I’ll order it on Amazon just to piss you off.” She really had to learn control herself. She took another deep breath “Fine, order it.”  
He didn’t comment and started typing on the computer.  
“It should be here in a week. I’ll let Maeve know. You are best chums now.”  
There was irritation in his voice. He was actually mad at her.  
“You should expect to see us skipping arm in arm around Stornoway singing bawdy songs pretty soon.”  
He did not like the joke. Definitely the wrong crowd.  
“Try and get laid. It helps the mood.” She added and hated herself seconds after it once she remembered what Maeve said. He was stuck too. “I am sorry…” Apologising right away for her horrible comment. She was a bloody idiot.  
“It’s £21.50” he said flatly and with no emotion in his voice. His eyes were cold and it looked like he could kill her with a stare.  
He kept the bag with the books for a moment and leaned forward on the counter “Don’t you dare to comment on my life ever again. You are a customer. Nothing more. You are nothing to me.”  
Aelin felt like crying. Yes, she had been nasty but Rowan was being cruel to her on purpose “There is nothing I can give. Nothing I want to give you.” He added when he noted her hurt expression. Then Rowan finally passed her the bag with the books “Now get out of my sight.”  
Aelin took the bag in silence and left the store.  
She walked away and left her feet to lead her. She did not notice she was back at the marina. She found a quite spot on the pier and sat down, her feet dangling.  
And then the tears came. And she cried. And the tears turned into heavy sobs.  
She took the phone and called Lysandra, but when the woman did not answered she hugged her legs to her chest and dropped her head on the knees as if to try and hold the pieces together. She was tired. And for a moment she just wanted to disappear.

Rowan was fuming. How dare she? She didn’t know anything about his life. How dare she make such a comment? He closed the store and walked quite angrily to his aunt’s coffee shop. She loved to gossip a bit too much and wondered what she had told Aelin.  
When he reached the shop he was glad it was not busy, that conversation did not need and audience.  
“Good morning, darling.” Maeve said in a cheery voice, unaware what was about to hit her.  
“What did you tell her?”  
His aunt looked at him with a confused expression.  
“Aelin. The new girl. You told her you are my aunt. What else did you tell her about my miserable life, eh?”  
“Rowan, suidh sìos.” Her tone had a hint of command. Her face lost the loving and caring side and Rowan knew he was in trouble. So he obeyed her and sat down at the table like she commanded.  
“I did not tell her anything. I just told her that you are my nephew. I did not know that was a secret.” She was definitely not happy about him.  
Maeve sat down in front of him “What did you do?”  
He looked away, shying away from the conversation.  
Maeve sighed “Rowan, she is going through a tough moment in her life. Be nice to her. Be nice to each other. She seems like a lovely woman. Why don’t give yourself a second chance?”  
He still did not answer.  
“She is just as lost as you are. If you only stopped being mad at the world all the time, she might be the person to show you the way back, both of you.”  
He was stunned by his aunt’s words. It sounded like Aelin and Maeve really had become good friends already and that his aunt already knew a good deal about the woman.  
But there was no way he was letting anyone else in again. Not after… he pushed the name away. Even after almost a year it still hurt too much to talk about her. No, he was going to live the rest of his life on his own and on his own terms.  
“Don’t interfere.” He finally managed “It’s my life. I’ll decide what is best for me. And if my destiny is to become a lonely, grumpy old man, so be it.” He gritted his teeth and fisted his hands cooling down his anger.  
“I know you still hurt because of what Lyria did. But it has been almost a year…”  
“Don’t…” he hissed “Don’t ever say her name in front of me. Ever again.”  
“Rowan…” Maeve put a hand on his arm but he pushed her away. Maeve stood and looked at her nephew stone faced “Mrs MacIver asked me if you can order these for her grandson. It’s his birthday quite soon.” And she passed a note to him.  
“Fine.” He took the note and stood.  
“Find the way back, my darling.” Maeve said to him once he was at the door. He ignored the comment and left without a reply.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double feature tonight!  
> Here's chapter 4 as well. Last night I was inspired and I did managed to write a few chapters.
> 
> As usual... some Gaelic for you:
> 
> A bheil Gàidhlig agad - Do you speak Gaelic?  
> mo charaid - my friend
> 
> Some of Elias' words seem funny, but he speaks Scots as well. And he is so damn sexy while doing it.
> 
> All the locations I mentioned they are real. Rowan's bookstore it's the only fictional place.
> 
> Happy reading!

Aelin woke up quite late the next morning. After her fight with Rowan she had spent the day at the marina and wondered around the town. She had felt empty and could not bring herself to do anything.  
She finally managed to speak with Lysandra and cried. She cried her heart out and her friend had listened. Like she always did. She had gotten home later in the afternoon and felt exhausted. She spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room reading her books. That brought her joy at least, although dreaded going back to shop to collect the last book. She could not face him. Not yet.  
But that morning she had woken with a renewed motivation. She had prepared breakfast for herself and admitted she missed Maeve’s apple turnovers but could not risk going back there at the moment. She had to put some distance. So she ate her own breakfast, prepared a couple of sandwiches and got her backpack ready for the next adventure. Today she was driving south toward Harris. She had learned that Lewis and Harris were one big islands but Lewis was the Northern part, full of moors and peat land. Harris, was the Southern part, much rockier and with some stunning beaches and a famous road called the Golden road. Ten minutes later she was in the car and ready to go. She set her sat nav and she left.  
Over an hour later the sat nav announced one last turn to her final destination: Luskentyre beach. She had a look at some photos online and she could not believe such a gorgeous place existed.  
She parked the car and opened the door and got out. No internet image had prepared her for the view in front of her. The beach was massive, the stretch of sand never ending and the sand was so white that it almost hurt the eyes. And the sea. It was the purest green mixed with blue that she had ever seen in her life. She was speechless. For ten solid minutes she leaned against the open door of her car and observed the stretch of paradise in front of her, incapable of doing anything else. Trying to burn in her memories the colours. She would take pictures but doubted they would ever do any justice.  
Finally she moved and grabbed her backpack, locked the car and walked to the beach. Once she reached the sand she removed the shoes. No way she was going to walk on that sand with her shoes on. The sun was up and the sand was warm at the touch and she let the feeling sooth her.  
Around her there were a few people walking dogs and couples walking hand in hand. A pang of sadness hit her, and absentmindedly she touched the spot where her wedding band should have been hating herself straight after, for missing Chaol. He made his choice. She had given him his freedom. Tears threatened to appear once again but she fought them back and resumed her walk along the beach. She followed the beach and walked in the water ignoring that it was cold. She walked for hours then she decided to sit and eat her lunch. Her sandwich was gross compared to Maeve’s and in her packed there definitely was no chocolate cake. She sighed.  
A young man was walking his dog and she noticed the animal coming her way. The man called him a few times, but a moment later the dog was at her feet, his tongue lolling from his mouth and was staring at her sandwich. Aelin laughed and gave him a bit and he ate eagerly.  
“I wouldn’t do it if I were you. You might never get rid of him.” The man was now in front of her and was scratching the dog ears.  
“It’s fine I was done eating anyway.” And she gave the rest of her lunch to the dog.  
She lifted her eyes and stared at the man. He was wearing shorts and a navy blue polo shirt. His hair was black as the night and his eyes a light blue edging on grey. Her breath caught and she felt herself blushing.  
“You are not a local.” He said as a matter of fact.  
“That obvious?”  
“Your accent. Definitely not from here.” His smile left her breathless. He had dimples. On both sides. He was quite cute.  
“Where do you bide?”  
Aelin looked at the man puzzled “Bide?”  
“Aye, where do you stay?”  
Understanding dawned on her. The word must have a different meaning in Scots “I am staying in Stornoway.”  
“Bonnie place. I live in Callanish. Ye, ken?”  
Aelin was stuck again. Was he even speaking English? So far all the other people had done their best to speak English with her.   
“Sorry, bad habit. I didn’t mean to be rude. I meant if you know Callanish.” The man sat beside her on the sand while the dog was running free on the beach.  
“Yes I was there a couple of days ago. I went to the standing stones. Such a fascinating place.”   
“I have one of the smaller circles just outside ma hoose.” He confessed turning his head to her “There are actually few more different sites scattered around the area. The main one at the visit centre is Callanish I.” He explained, then he extended his hand “I am Elias by the way. I have been yapping non stop and forgot to introduce myself.”  
“Aelin,” she said taking his hand.  
“Aelin…” her name on his tongue sounded perfection “In Gaelic means bright or shining one.”  
“So, are you a tourist? Visiting friends? Family? Boyfriend?”  
Aelin giggled “Status uncertain at the moment.” She said, then looked at Elias and explained a bit further “Tourist at the moment, but things might change.”  
“So, where are ye fae?”  
She guessed his question and she hoped she got it right “London.” She replied.  
“Been there for work a few times. I am an engineer and I have been down there for a few conventions.”  
Aelin was too busy listening at his sexy accent to pay attention to what he was saying and she felt embarrassed when she had to ask to repeat his answer.  
“Nae worries. I said I am an engineer and I was in London a few times for work.”  
“Cool what type?” The guy was fascinating and seemed much more willing to chat that a certain grumpy one back in town.  
“Environmental. I am working with Calmac at the moment. That’s the company that runs the ferry you used to get here if you travelled by sea.” He explained while the dog came back and licked his fingers quite happily.  
“I am a doctor. I was…. Still am… it’s complicated.” She cut short and noticed the confusion in his face. “Long boring story.”  
“What type?”  
“Cardio thoracic surgeon.”  
He whistled “bad ass woman. Love it.” His grin reached his eyes and she felt heat spread inside her. Definitely more than cute. And those dimples…  
She was having a good time but she had to keep going, she still had a few things to do.  
“I am enjoying the conversation but I still have quite a lot to cover.” She stood and turned to him.  
The main smiled “Of course. Care for some suggestions?”  
Aelin nodded.  
“If you are driving south, right after Borve there is another lovely beach. Stop there as well. Not as famous as Luskentyre but amazing as well. Then continue all the way down to Rodel. It’s the village at the end of the road. There is a lovely church called St. Clements. Worth visiting. Once you are past Rodel make your way back via the Golden road. It’s a very narrow road but it’s a pleasure to drive if you want an Hebridean adventure. Once you are almost at the top before Tarbert, make sure you stop in Drinisiader. There is a fascinating wee museum about Harris Tweed. But just hide your purse. They have some amazing stuff and you might want to buy the entire shop. Then you are in Tarbert and from there it’s an easy drive back to Stornoway.”  
“Tapadh Leat.” She said and Elias gave her a huge grin in response.  
“A bheil Gàidhlig agad?” He asked and she realised she had to stop trying to use Gaelic.  
“I just know thank you and good morning.” She explained almost embarrassed.  
“That’s okay, lass. I am not a native speaker either. I learnt it later on in life. My parents don’t actively speak it, but my gran did. It was the only way I had to communicate with her. My parents were parts of the generation that grew being taught that speaking Gaelic was not proper, so they never did. My mum understands it because of course her mother was a speaker. But she used her dad to translate. It’s a very long complicated story.” He stopped and looked at her. “Looks like we both have a complicated story to tell each other.”  
Aelin’s stomach fluttered in excitement.  
He grabbed his wallet and removed a business card from it. “Sorry for being so direct, but you seem quite an interesting person. Call me or message me if you need a guide.” He held the card to her and Aelin debated for a moment whether to take it or not. Lysandra had told her to go to Scotland, enjoy herself and get a Scottish man in the process and forget her ex husband.   
She took the card “I’ll call you.”  
“Do it, mo charaid.”  
She smiled warmly, grabbed her backpack “It was nice meeting you, Elias.”

She was driving along the Golden road and she had to admit that the road was a real adventure. Large enough for a small car to pass, she had to constantly focus on the road to avoid ending in a ditch or in a loch beside the road. But no matter the stress, she was loving it. Until the sheep arrived. One moment she was alone on the road. The next moment she was surrounded by sheep. A massive flock stretched for some length along the road. She got off the car, she took a picture and sent it to Lysandra with the caption traffic jam in the Hebrides.  
A moment later the phone rang.  
“Are you kidding me?”  
“No Lys, I swear I am surrounded by sheep. They are everywhere and I can’t go anywhere. Guess someone will come and collect them soon.”  
She heard Lysandra laugh “Sounds like you are having a great time.”  
“I am.” she confessed not entirely convinced. The memory of the fight with Rowan still stung and she was wracking her brain to find a way to fix things with him. She was… intrigued by him. He was brooding, infuriating and handsome at the same time. Plus he was the owner of a bookstore which was not bad. She wanted to be his friend but it looked like he was not interested.   
He had made that abundantly clear. Nothing I want to give you.   
Tears threatened to appear once again but she fought, not willing to let sadness spoil such a lovely day.  
So she had decided to put some distance. She would go to get her book when it arrived and then limit her visits to his shop, for as much as it pained her.   
He didn’t want to have anything to do with her. Well, she was granting him his wish.  
“How is going with Aedion?” She changed the subject.  
“Well, we have only been on a date but he’s great.”  
“Already planning your wedding?” Aelin joked and Lysandra laughed in reply.  
“Nah, just imagining having sex with him for now.”  
“Eew. I didn’t need to know that”  
“Seriously… the man has amazing hands and I spent the evening thinking what he can do with them. And if all the other parts are just as big as the rest of the body…”  
“Eewww. Ewwww and eeeeew.”  
“Since when you are such a prude?”  
Aelin laughed she wasn’t but she had no interest in listening her best friend talk about her boyfriend’s body parts.  
“Get a move on finding a man of your own and then you can fantasise about his body parts.”  
For a brief moment Aelin’s mind thought about Rowan’s hands and… No, stop. She could not go there. That was dangerous territory.  
“We’ll see.” Was all that she added.   
“I need you to come back to me happy.”  
“What if…” she paused for a second “what if I am not coming back?”  
“What do you mean?”  
In the distance Aelin noticed a tractor and the sheep began moving again.  
“Sheep are moving. Gotta go back home.”  
“Ok. Keep me posted.”  
She say bye to Lys and she was positive she felt a note of sadness in her friend’s voice.

The sheep finally moved and she spent the journey home mulling over what she had said to Lys. She could not see herself going back to London. Something had broken inside her. Maybe it was her that was broken. With her skills and experience she could easily find another job in another hospital. So why the rejection from one place hurt so much? And Chaol… London was a very big place, the chances of her bumping into him on the streets were minimal. However, they had loads of friends in common. She would have to give up her friends to avoid him. Give up her gym, her favourite bookstore and cafe, because he was a regular in those places too. She would have to give up her life to avoid him and the pain that seeing again would bring. She had felt relieved after the divorce. She still had no regrets. But forgetting almost a decade together was proving more difficult than she expected.  
She pushed on the breaks quite hard, forced the door open and run to the field near the road. And then she collapsed on her knees and screamed, letting out all the frustration festering in her.   
Her hands began shaking and she felt the symptoms of a panic attack starting to manifest.  
Breathing was getting harder.  
So Aelin stayed in the filed, and cried and shook.  
Until she had no more tears left in her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers :)  
> Just one chapter tonight but it's just shy of 4k words so hopefully it will do fine :)
> 
> so... bit of angst coming. Apologies there is a bit of fluff too but not what you hope.  
> Please don't hate Elias. He is my secret weapon to bring our two idiots together. So just be nice to him.
> 
> Fun facts:  
> 1\. I adore Roald Dahl like our trio.  
> 2\. The scene at Luskentyre with the dark clouds and the savage rain. Been there done that. Luckily I saw it in the sun as well.  
> 3\. I hug standing stones. I am a serial hugger. Hugged the ones at Callanish and have a few photos of me hugging stones in Orkney as well.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter and thanks a million to everyone who left kudos or a comment. It means the world to me.

A week had passed.  
Rowan opened the bookshop on time as usual. Switched on the lights and the computer and went to the back and dragged to the counter the bulky box containing the orders that had arrived the previous night.  
Once he cracked the box open he realised Aelin’s was at the top, staring at him. He sighed, took the book and sat on the stool behind his counter. For a whole week he hated himself for what he said to her. He had definitely gone too far and he had to find a way to apologise and make it up to her for his dreadful behaviour.  
Gently he flipped the book in his hands and read a couple of random pages and smiled. He was positive she was going to love the last book in the series and a part of him was quite eager to discuss the book with her.  
He had read the series a long time ago and loved it. Flipping through the pages he found some of the lines he loved and a tenuous smile appeared on his face at the thought that Aelin reminded him so much the female main character in the book.  
Both of them had fire in them.  
He hadn’t seen her in a week and Maeve told him that she hadn’t been at the coffee shop either.  
His aunt’s words still haunted him. _She is just as lost as you are.  
_ What could have happened to her? She always appeared to him as full of life and quite energetic, but he guessed that might be a mask she would wear for stranger, for people who were not close to her. He wanted to meet the real Aelin, problems at all. He thought pondered on his aunt’s words. What if she really was the key to get out of the funk he had been stuck for a while? What if he could help her as well? He admitted that he wanted to be his friend and he was going to prove it to her.  
Deep down though he knew he had another reason, a bit more selfish. He found her attractive. More than that. The first day in the shop she had taken his breath away. And she loved books probably just as much as he did. Something that Lyria… no. He was not going there.  
He closed his eyes and tried to picture Aelin. Her funny attempts to use Gaelic gave him fuzzy feelings.  
He had spent a week mulling and thinking about her. He could not stop doing that. She had made him feel again. But the idea terrified him. He had committed completely to a woman once. He gave her all of him, his love, trust, respect and heart. And she destroyed everything. He sighed and put the book on the shelf behind him where he kept all the orders to be collected. He had to find a way to tell her her book was here. In his anger he forgot to take her phone number or address and now he was stuck. He only had to hope that she would remember and pop in in the shop. If he could see her one more time and apologise…  
He was busy unpacking when the bell rang and a dark-haired man entered the shop.  
“Good morning, can I help you?”  
The man looked at him and smiled “Yes, definitely. I am looking for a book. Something on Callanish.” He explained looking around the shop with interest “It’s for a woman. It’s a present. She is new here and I would like to give her a welcome to the islands present. She just visited Callanish for the first time and she loved it.”  
Rowan felt sick for a moment. Was that guy talking about Aelin? Because the description sounded very similar. Sadness hit him. So she was doing fine after all. She did not need him.  
“I have a nice selection. Ranging form the usual tourist guide to something more fascinating and historical.” And he showed the guy the books. The stranger took one of the bigger ones. One of his favourites.  
“That is a great one.” He added pointing at the one the guy was holding in his hands “It has info about the archeological excavations, theories about its use and it connects to the mythology as well. It’s quite complete. Your friend will love it.”  
The man smiled again and kept the book.  
“Can I just have a look around?”  
Rowan nodded keeping an eye on the man. Could it be that he was talking about Aelin? He did his best to convince himself that it was just a coincidence. It had to be. But sadness struck anyway. He had planned to get that book for Aelin. He was positive she would have adored it. And now chances were another man was going to give it to her.  
The man came back with a second book. A colouring book of the Hebrides “I have a feeling Aelin will love them.”  
Rowan stopped. His world froze. And his heart was beating furiously in his chest.  
“She is a lucky woman.” Rowan forced himself to say. “Would you like me to wrap them since it’s a present.”  
“That would be amazing if it’s not too much trouble.”  
Rowan took a deep breath and steadied his hands.  
“You have a great place here. And I love your Roald Dahl display.”  
Those words stung. That was one of the first things Aelin had said to him.  
“Big fan.” Was all that Rowan managed ignoring the roaring fury rising in him. At his stupidity. His bad temper. That could have been him if only he had been able to control himself and be nice for once in his life.  
“When I was little I was obsessed with James and the Giant Peach.” The man continued while Rowan was working on wrapping the books. He had a feeling that Aelin was a big fan of Matilda.  
“Here we go.” Rowan passed the present to the man.  
The stranger paid and left the shop.  
Rowan sat in silence for a while then stood, turned the sign of the shop to closed, switched off the lights, locked the door and went home.  
All of a sudden he did not feel in the mood anymore to deal with people.  
He grabbed his car and drove in silence until he reached his favourite spot on the islands. He went to the Butt of Lewis, sat on the edge of the cliff and admired the sea raging against the cliffs, mirroring perfectly his current mood.

Aelin had taken a day off from exploring. She had driven a lot the previous days and she needed a break from her car. She had gone back to Luskentyre, however this time she was not so lucky with the weather. An horrible storm had hit once there. And still, the place was stunning. The dark clouds heavy with rain seemed to enhance the blues and green of the water. A strange light had embraced the bay and the sand appeared even whiter. Then the rain hit and she thought she had never seen a rainstorm so brutal. She had stayed in the car and waited it out. Being Scotland, the weather was very changeable and ten minutes later the sun was out and the most amazing rainbow arched across the beach. Not a single one of her photo did any justice to the beauty in front of her.  
She was now wandering around Stornoway and convinced herself to go to Rowan’s shop. It had been a week and her book should have arrived. The last one had ended in an epic cliffhanger and now she needed to know. It was a matter of life or death.  
She turned the corner and a strange feeling overcame her when she noticed the lights off. At the entrance door a sign said _Dùinte_ and underneath _Closed_ in English. It was almost noon, how was it possible it was closed? Rowan was punctual to a fault. Was he sick? She wished she had his mobile number to get in touch with him.  
She was worried.  
But most of all she realised she missed him. Yes, they barely knew each other and they didn’t have the best of the beginnings, but still…  
She sighed and walked away.  
In that instant Elias texted her. She had caved in the end and texted him. They had started chatting. That morning he had told her that he was in town and they agreed to meet.  
He was waiting for her at the parking near the ferry terminal. She tucked her sadness away and walked toward the terminal.  
She had debated every day since she gave Elias her number if she had done the right thing.  
She clearly felt something for Rowan. What it was, she still wasn’t sure. And although he had been grumpy and they fought, something about him resonated within her. As if his soul somehow called out to hers.  
The rational part of her quickly rejected the idea as the twisted and unachievable idea of love that her books had given her over the years.  
Human’s relationships were nothing but pain.  
For a moment she argued to herself that for some inexplicable reason his soul had somehow resonated with Rowan’s. That if they were in a book instead, someone would have pointed out that the pining was due to them being soulmates.  
A minute later after that thought she snorted loudly.  
They were everything but. They weren’t even friends.  
What about enemies to lovers? She snorted again and closed the distance to where Elias was waiting for her.  
There were more chances of Rowan strangling her than them becoming friends.  
All that mental gymnastics to convince herself that texting Elias was good. That she was not betraying Rowan.  
But at the same time she felt a horrible person. She had no idea what she wanted from Elias. She was not ready yet to commit again. But still, she didn’t want to mislead him. He seemed such a nice guy. Hurting was the last thing she wanted to do to him.  
Aelin finally arrived at the car park and saw him. He was as tall as Rowan. He was standing beside his car. Sunglasses on his head, dark shorts, a light blue polo shirt hugged his upper body nicely and she could not force her gaze away from him. He was stunning.  
_But he is not Rowan_ a voice said in her head and she told it to shut up.  
“Hello.” He waved at her and she noticed his bright smile and his two dimples make their appearance. She had forgotten his smile.  
“Hey.” She said joining him near his car “Nice car by the way. Being an engineer must pay really well.” She joked and hoped she hadn’t gone too far as her usual.  
“Love a woman with a good taste in cars. It’s a Tesla. Cost me a kidney but this baby it’s worth it.”  
“Of course you get a Tesla. You are an environmental engineer so an electric car makes sense. If you were a book character you’d be considered perfectly in character.”  
Elias laughed loudly at the joke. Then he opened the door, and grabbed something from the car “For you. A welcome to the islands gift.”  
Aelin took the present and froze when she noticed the sticker on top. The present came from Rowan’s bookshop. All of a sudden she forgot how to breath. At least she did manage to hide her shaky hands from Elias.  
She opened the present and squealed in delight when she noticed the book about Callanish and underneath a colouring book. She put the second on the roof of the car and opened the first one. Inside the dust jacket she noticed a small note. That, definitely did not belong there. The calligraphy was neat _Your book is here. I guess you want to know what happens after the cliffhanger._ Then at the bottom of the note _I am sorry. R._  
How did he know that Elias was giving her the book? A wave of panic hit her.  
Sneakily she hid the note from Elias and pretended to browse the book, but her mind kept going back to Rowan’s message. Her heart was hammering in her chest, so much that it almost hurt. The words I am sorry resonating in her head like an echo.  
“Glad you loved the books. I forgot there was a nice bookshop in town. I got it from there. The one about Callanish came with a recommendation from the owner.” Aelin felt like crying. She was just picturing Rowan helping Elias pick the book for her. Why was she feeling like that for a man who had clearly told her that she meant nothing to him? Why was she caring so much?  
Had Lysandra been there she would have told her to drop the grumpy guy and take the nice one.  
She stretched and gave Elias a little peck on the cheek “Thank you. They are perfect. Now I just need some pencils for the colouring book.”  
“That, we can fix easily.” Elias went around the car and opened the other door for her “Hop in.”  
Aelin looked at him puzzled “I thought we were staying in town.”  
“No way, there is still so much for you to see.”  
“I am in a Tesla.” She commented ecstatic and noticed Elias grinning. “I don’t have car. In London it’s a nightmare. Traffic is horrendous and parking near my house is just non existent. Luckily the tube takes me to work easily.”  
“On the islands the only traffic jam you experience is cattle, sheep and the annoying tourists driving motorhomes where they shouldn’t and going at a slow pace because they have to take a photo of every single piece of grass.”  
Aelin laughed “I got stuck in the middle of a flock of sheep the other day. I was along the Golden Road.”  
“Well, that was your baptism of fire and you passed it.”  
Half an hour later they were crossing a bridge. Elias explained to her that they were heading for Great Bernera. As soon as they cleared the bridge he pulled over and parked the car at the small picnic area. She got out and stood immobile for a moment to take in the beauty of the landscape.all around her. Then Elias grabbed her hand and he pulled toward the left. She looked up and she noticed some standing stones and she felt giddy.  
“Come on.”  
They climbed the short path and they reached the stones.  
Aelin went to hug them and she made Elias laugh out loud “that is a very unusual reaction.” Then he took his phone and took a photo “Now I can bribe you until eternity.”  
Aelin dismissed him with a rude gesture and kept hugging the stone.  
“You are hugging Callanish VIII.”  
Aelin gasped in surprise.  
“This place is quite peculiar. It is a semi circle and not a full circle and according to the archaeologists it was never a full circle. No one knows what it was for. However, according to the local folklore, due to its strange configuration and location, on a calm winter day when the sun is low a strange experience might occur. If you walk between the tall stone and the water a double shadow is cast on the stone. One shadow is produced by the sun and the other by the sun’s reflection on the water.” He explained, his gaze fixed on the horizon.  
“I tried plenty of times but no luck.”  
He walked behind her and tugged her to his chest, leaning his chin on her shoulder. Elias then took her hand and pointed “There,” he said “over there you have Callanish. The main site.”  
She leaned against his hard chest and took comfort in the nice feeling.  
“That is so awesome.”  
“I am pretty sure your book will have a part about these stones.” His breath was gentle against her ear and she shivered in pleasure at the feeling.  
“Let’s go. We haven’t reached our final destination yet.” He moved away and for a brief second she missed the warmth of his body against hers.  
They got back in the car and they drove for a bit longer. The road was narrow but Elias drove with the experience of a local and she felt pretty safe.  
They finally reached a parking area and she was ready to get out again.  
“The islands are quite amazing for their historical sites.” He started, offering his hand to her.  
She took it and he smiled tenderly. His thumb gently brushing the top of her hand.  
“Are you ready for a visit to the iron age?”  
They walked in silence for a short stretch along the wall of a cemetery and then she noticed the Iron Age house. Elias paid the pound to get into the house, but she was more interested in the stunning beach she had spotted at the end of the path. Once out of the house she took running toward the beach and Elias followed until he grabbed at her waist “You ungrateful witch. I am showing you an historical site and all you care is the beach.”  
Aelin laughed and turned to him, their faces dangerously close “Sorry, but the beach looks soooooo amazing”  
Elias let her go and playfully pushed her away “Go. Have fun.”  
She smiled at him and walked toward the beach, removed her shoes and walked in the water. That had become her ritual.  
Bosta beach was another gem. A hidden one, it looked like.  
Elias joined her in the water and stood beside her, their arms touching “When I was young, my brother and I used to come here and kayak. See the islands in front of us?” He pointed and Aelin nodded “That is little Bernera. The only way to get there is by boat. On the the side there is a beach that is something out of this world. Untouched. Pristine. With waters of colours so bright that they might not be real.”  
She turned to him and looked at Elias in the eyes. And they were bright, full of joy  
“You have a childish streak.” He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.  
“No, that came out wrong. What I meant is that you seem to tackle life with the same joy a kid does. The way you hugged the stone, or how you run just now or your face when you saw the books. It’s contagious.” With a hand he caressed her face.  
She should pull away and break that contact, but she couldn’t because she realised she missed it. So in the end she leaned into his touch, basking in the feeling of his hand on her cheek.  
“Tha thu bóidheach…” he whispered “You are beautiful.” He repeated in English.  
Aelin broke the contact and went to sit down on the sand. She needed a moment to collect herself. To unravel the set of conflicted emotions battling inside her.  
In front of her there was Elias. A wonderful man who seemed quite keen to be in her company. Who was intelligent and fascinating and sweet. A man capable of making her heart race madly. He was perfect. He was handsome. Unbelievably so. And then there was Rowan. Who was… maddening. They were nothing and no chance of their status changing anytime soon.  
She sighed.  
Elias sat beside her “did I do something wrong?” His blue eyes fixed on her “What I said and did… sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”  
Aelin shook her head. He was considerate and with his face mere centimetres from hers she realised she just wanted to kiss him.  
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she explained and wondered if it was the time to open up to someone else. But Maeve’s word replayed in her head. _You can help each other. He is stuck too_. She wanted to open up to Rowan. According to Maeve he was suffering for something too. She wanted him to open up to her. She knew it felt wrong. She could not open up to Elias. That was something that belonged to Rowan. Of that she was sure.  
“I haven’t done this in a while.”  
“Are you seriously telling me that in the whole of London there is not a single man who’d consider himself lucky to have you?”  
“I can be a handful.”  
“My brother has three kids under the age of ten. I can handle handful. Believe me.”  
Aelin laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder “And why a guy like you is single?”  
“The missus had a side thing with her boss. They eloped. She got pregnant and now she lives the grand life in Edinburgh with the money she got from the divorce and got stuck with the kid. He was rich. Filthy rich and she just wiped him clean.”  
“And you were married to her?”  
“Oh yeah. I was young and stupid. We lasted two years.”  
“Probably you didn’t earn enough big bucks.”  
Elias laughed genuinely “Aye, I was a poor nobody compared to her second husband.”  
“Her loss,” Aelin added.  
He tuned his head surprised by that remark. His face inched closer and hesitated for a second, then finally kissed her  
Aelin resisted him for a moment, but then she melted in the kiss. His lips were soft. The kiss started gentle but then it got harder and she could feel need seeping from it.  
His hands went to her back and slowly pushed her on the sand on her back. Aelin run her hands in his hair and pulled him closer.  
She nibbled his lower lip and the sound he made awoke something at her core. His hands slid to her sides and he traced the length of her body. She closed her eyes and froze. A pair of green eyes appeared in her vision. Rowan’s face floated in front of her and she froze. She sat up quickly.  
“Not on the beach near a tourist attraction.” She stood and patted the sand away from her clothes using it as an excuse to put some distance between them.  
Slowly she gathered the courage to look at him and she saw hurt in his blue eyes.  
“You are right. Being arrested for sex in public is not in my today’s plan.” And the dimples came back.  
“I am sorry I…” she fumbled.  
He got closer and kissed tenderly on her lips “No need to apologise.” Then he patted her hair. “You are covered in sand.”  
In silence they walked back to the car and even on the journey home she struggled to say more than a few words. She held her book on her legs and kept thinking at the message inside and how she will face Rowan the next day.

“I can drop you off at your place.”  
“No, the car park is fine. It’s a nice evening. I don’t mind the stroll.”  
“Ok, mo charaid.”  
Aelin leaned forward and kissed him “Thank you for the books and for today. I had so much fun.”  
“Me too,” he kissed her back.  
Aelin broke the kiss and left the car. He got out and leaned on the roof “Text me.”  
“I will do, mo charaid”  
Elias laughed “you are so sexy when you try to speak Gaelic.”  
Aelin blew him a kiss and walked away.  
When she was almost home she leaned against the small wall separating the road from the marina and looked toward the town. To the spot where Rowan’s shop was.  
And wondered what he was doing.  
Wondered if he missed her as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Insert greeting here according to your time zone.*
> 
> So, chapter 6 is here.  
> A bit of development fro our two idiots. Hope you like it.
> 
> I have chapter 7 and 8 down but they need heavy editing.  
> Also, last night I was inspired and I did manage to plot the skeleton of the story, so I know exactly where I am going. There should be 28 chapters and an epilogue.
> 
> Well, I hope, in the meantime that you will enjoy this one.
> 
> Spot the HoF references :)

The next day Rowan was back at work.  
He opened on time as usual and a couple of tourists came into the shop but left quite quickly. Probably not impressed by the lack of tacky touristy stuff.  
He was working on re-organising a shelf when the door opened and he was not ready to see again the person who crossed the threshold.  
“Hey you.” The woman smiled at him tenderly.  
Rowan forgot how to breath. Aelin had her hair in a braid and a straw hat on her head. A nice colourful shirt and then his gaze trailed south. She was wearing shorts and the sight of her long tanned legs almost killed him. It looked like Aelin was ready to go on a tropical beach to suntan and relax all day.  
She was a goddess. And she was in front of him. Smiling.  
“Back at you.” He said, getting up slowly, not trusting his legs. He felt he could faint anytime at the sight.  
“I am here for my book.” A timid smile appeared on his lips then his legs finally moved and did manage to cover the few steps taking him to the counter. He grabbed the book and handed it to her. He hesitated for a moment, as if to try and have a conversation but then decide against. What was he going to say anyway?  
“Have fun.” That was the safest comment he could make. “I bet you are dying to know how it finishes.”  
Aelin grabbed the book quite eagerly and held it to her chest “Hell yeah. The fake queen has lost her marbles and she deserves to die. Painfully if possible. And I can’t believe that the main couple got separated, they are at the opposite extremes of the continent and that bastard of trusted member of her court told her, her lover was dead. And the plot twist at the end?”  
Rowan laughed. Actually laughed and for Aelin it was the most beautiful sound she ever heard. The smile reached his eyes and he was even more stunning.  
“Be ready for a lot of angst though.”  
Aelin dismissed him with her hand “I eat angst for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” They were talking. Not about what happened but he did not care.  
“Have you read _The cursed kingdom_?”  
“Of course.”  
“Well, if I survived the angst of that book I can survive anything.” She explained.  
“I have a present for you.” Her book went on the floor and she began fumbling in her backpack, clearly looking for something.  
“Ah! Here it is.” In her hand there was a small rectangular packet wrapped in bookish paper.  
Rowan took it suspiciously and opened. At the sight of the gift a roaring laugh erupted from him. Such a genuine laugh that left Aelin stunned. That could not be the same person who told her she was nothing to him.  
“So now when you open the fridge you will think of me.” She explained, pointing at the tacky fridge magnet with _Stornoway_ written on, now in his hands.  
He smiled and attached the magnet to his metal pen holder on his desk “I spend more time here than at my fridge. Now it will always be in front of me.”  
They were talking and laughing, it looked like somehow the fight they had was just a bad memory, but he could not forgive himself for what he said to her.  
How could he apologise for his behaviour? He was terrible at this kind of things. How was he going to explain the chaos that was his heart at the moment?  
Then he remembered about the dark haired guy and the book and sadness engulfed him.  
“I wanted to apologise.” She surprised him searching for his gaze.  
Her blue eyes met his and he could not look away.  
“I said horrible things.” She continued. Aelin placed the book on the counter and moved a step in his direction, closing the distance “I was having a bad day and I think I exploded and took it out on the wrong person.”  
Rowan moved a step closer to her as well “I said horrible things too. You were being nice and brought me coffee. It’s just that…” he paused. He was so bad at this “I am not good at communicating with people as you can see. You are not just a customer….”  
“Mo charaid” he heard her whisper and smiled.  
“You are learning…” he added.  
He extended his arm and took her hand in his “I’d love to try an be your friend.” With a swift motion he pulled her to him, to his chest and she felt amazing against him. She was shorter and her head fitted just under his chin. Her arms caught him off guard when they wrapped themselves around him.  
“I am a mess.” It was a whisper from her but he heard it “I am a mess. My life is going belly up and some days I feel like drowning.” She looked at him and for a moment he was speechless. There was so much pain and anguish in those beautiful blue eyes of hers.  
“I am lost…” She whispered never removing her gaze from him “…and I don’t know the way.”  
At those words, his heart ached. He hugged her tighter and hoped that his action would help. Maybe his actions would convey better his feelings. A hug was all he could give her just now, but he hoped it helped a little bit.  
“I am a bit of a mess too.” Finally he confessed to her. She was being honest to him. She deserved a bit of his honesty too. “A bit stuck, as my aunt would say.”  
_She is stuck too._  
Aelin leaned back from the embrace and put a hand on his chest, near the heart “When you are ready.” His hand covered her on his heart “When we are both ready, we will tell each other our stories.”  
“We will help each other.” She added softly “And maybe we could find our way back together.”  
He nodded and felt lighter for a moment “Together then.”  
“To whatever end.” Said Aelin in a solemn tone.  
Rowan grinned “that’s cheesy. It sounds as if it came from an epic adventure where the main hero is ready to embark in a dangerous mission. Sitting on his horse, sword wielded high and he shouts that.”  
“I did read it in a book actually.” Commented Aelin, laughing at the scene he had painted. With a huff she pulled away from him and walked to a shelf, grabbed a book and when she returned she shoved it in his face “You even sell it.”  
Rowan grabbed the book from her hands and set it aside. He was definitely going to read it. “If you spoiler it, I’ll kill you with my own hands.”  
She stopped again right in front of him and looked up “To whatever end…” a faint smile painted her lips “It could be our motto.”  
He grabbed her hand and put it back on his heart “Sounds epic enough for the two of us.”  
They had made some progress but he could not stop thinking about the other guy. And he could not risk asking her. She had probably seen the note which meant she knew that he knew, but he decided to give her some space. Also, the two of them were just friends. But a pang of jealousy hit him nonetheless. Anger flooded in him at the thought that he might kiss her. Or worse. It was not his place to be so possessive but that nasty emotion had been festering in him since the day the stranger had come to buy the book for her.  
He pushed the bad thought away. Having her back and being her friend had to be enough for now.  
He could not give himself to her completely until he had dealt with his life and his issues.  
Then she looked past him and noticed the books on the floor and the empty shelf “were you rearranging books?”  
“Yeah, I was playing with history section. It needed a sprucing up.”  
He looked at her face lit up in joy.  
“Can I help you? I love rearranging books. Please? Pretty please?” There was no way he could resist her. Not when she pleaded with her radiant smile.  
He gave in. “Fine. come.” He moved away and all of a sudden he missed the contact with her hand.  
They both went to the shelf and Rowan started explaining her how he was planning to reshuffle the display.  
“We can put some of the best historical books on display on the table, to advertise them.” She grabbed a book about the neholitic settlements “Like this one. Or this one about the Iron Age house in Bosta.” She continued “It’s such a cool place.”  
“And how do you know about Bosta?”  
“I… I was there.” He saw her hesitate and wondered if she had been there with the other guy and hated the thought of the two of them together. It should have been him to take her to all these places. Take her to Callanish and make her smile with all the myths connected to the place. Go at night and have a picnic under the stars and the Milky Way. It should have been him.  
That was jealousy. Dark, horrible jealousy.  
“Did you like it?”  
Aelin nodded “But my favourite was Callanish…” she looked at him and thought about the book and his note “It was such a magical place.”  
“It is. I have to take you there at the Solstice.”  
The big smile painted on her face was so beautiful it hurt.  
“I… felt something when I was there.” She started trying not to feel like an idiot for what she was about to say, “I sat down with my back against one of the stones, inside the circle and the chambered cairn and I just felt something.” She chuckled “Gee, now I sound like a lunatic.”  
Rowan placed a hand on her shoulder “You don’t. I have felt things too. Can’t actually describe what, it’s not something you can put into words easily. Especially at the solstices. I always go there for both winter and summer solstice.”  
“Ever seen the shining one walking down the avenue on midsummer’s dawn?”  
Rowan shook his head “No, he/she is still eluding me.”  
“Well, wonder if this year is the year we’ll see him.”  
“And…” he stifled a chuckle “Where else have you been?”  
“I have seen Callanish VIII. The stones on Great Bernera.”  
“Oh, so you have been busy.” He joked, while emptying the shelves to try and concentrate and hide from her his true emotions.  
If only he had been nicer from the start…  
“A bit.” Aelin took a few copies of the book he had chosen for her about Callanish and arranged them nicely on the table in a very attractive display. She then grabbed a few other different books and piled them nicely to fill the table. At the end she took a step back and admired her masterpiece “I am a genius.” Her arms folded at her chest and a big grin on her face.  
Rowan looked up from his position and felt suddenly the desperate desire to kiss her “You have a high opinion of herself.” He mocked her, adoring the expression painted on her face, nose scrunched up.  
“Give me a week. I swear, you will finally start to sell these books. If I win, you buy me lunch. If you win, you can ask me one question about myself.” Aelin hoped he took the challenge. She wanted to say that if he won he would have to confess something about him, but after his reaction, she decided it wasn’t a good idea yet. “I just hope that you are ready for a mortgage because I’ll get the biggest lunch your aunt can cook and make you cry.”  
“Ha.” He shouted pointing a book at her “Maeve is my aunt, she will not make me pay.”  
“Whatever, I still get my free lunch.”  
Rowan stood and eyed her display and he had to admit that she was quite good “This is actually quite nice.”  
“Well, at least I know that now that my medical career has gone to shit, I can always become a bookseller.” She added sadly.  
“You are a doctor.” Rowan added stunned by that confession and by the realisation that apart from her name he knew nothing about her.  
“I was, am… I… it’s complicated at the moment.” and she gave him her back.  
Gently his hand touched her shoulder and Aelin turned to face him and Rowan noticed her eyes filling with tears.  
Withe the back of her hand she wiped her face and pretended to be strong. Although in reality it hurt. Sometimes so much that she could not breath. There was anger in her, so much anger, and despair.  
“I am fine.’ She sniffled “Don’t worry about it.”  
“Aelin…” his hand was about to caress her cheek but she grabbed his wrist and stopped the gesture “No. I don’t need your pity.”  
She grabbed quickly her backpack, book and hat “I should go. I wasted enough of your time already.” She turned and left the shop not looking at him.  
Rowan stood immobile with a book in his hands and stared at the spot where she had disappeared. And all of a sudden he knew what question he wanted to ask. He wanted to know more about this woman. Discover what horrendous things had happened in her life to bring her to tears that quickly.  
She was hurting. Badly.  
Then all of a sudden he thought of the perfect idea to bring a smile back to that gorgeous face of hers.

Aelin left the shop and took the road to get to Lews castle. She followed the path through the park and ended up at the marina and eventually crashed on a bench in a spot a bit far away from civilisation.  
She took her phone out and called Lysandra and her friend answered after a couple of rings.  
“Darling…”  
Lysandra’s voice sounded out of breath. Shit had she interrupted something?  
“I guess you finally have a day off.”  
“Uh-uh…” said her friend “It happens you know?”  
“Lys, are you with Aedion just now?”  
“A bit.”  
Aelin laughed “So, I guess his hands were good.”  
“You have noooooo idea.”  
Aelin smiled “Hey, have fun you two. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She paused “Just… don’t make an aunt yet.”  
She said her goodbye to Lysandra and stood and then went and leaned again the pier barrier and admired the sea and the marina.  
She needed to talk to Lysandra. She had to tell her her current situation and how she was torn between two men who were completely the opposite of each other.  
She liked them both.  
They were both interesting and fascinating people in their own respective way.

Shit. She was in such deep, unending shit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone.
> 
> I have a day off so the update to day is an early one.  
> The reason I am updating basically daily is that this story just came to me and I knew exactly what i wanted to write. The chapters come easily and I don't think I ever written this easily. Ever.  
> I hope to be able to post regularly.
> 
> So, chapter 7, things move a bit more.  
> Rowan tells her his idea to make her happy again and they get a bit closer.  
> Elias shows up and he and Rowan have a stand off. If we were in a fantasy, Aelin would be calling them both "overprotective fae bastards."
> 
> There is angst and I am sorry about that. Aelin is having a hard time. But things are improving soon. I promise.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this chapter.
> 
> A big, massive, gigantic virtual hug and thank you to everyone who left kudos or took the time to leave a comment. Thank you all so very much.  
> And to everyone is reading only... thank you to you too <3

A couple of days had passed and Aelin kept herself as busy as possible and went to visit again some of the places that were becoming her favourite sites.  
That day she was taking another day off from gallivanting around the island and was now on her way to Rowan. She had finished the book and she had to discuss it with him. And that special aspect of their complex relationship made her happy.  
But first of all coffee and breakfast. With the confidence of a local she walked along the streets and went straight to Maeve’s.  
Once in she noticed it was quite busy, but the woman had time for he and greeted her warmly and with a soft smile.  
“Good morning, darling.” The woman squeezed her in a gentle hug “What can I do for you?”  
“Could I please have two coffees to go and…” she looked at the counter full of fresh food. Her mouth watering “Does Rowan like apple turnovers? I am bringing breakfast to him.”  
“Alas, my nephew does not like sweet food.”  
“He what?” The shock clear on Aelin’s face.  
Maeve grabbed a small box from the counter behind her “I know. He is strange. I made him some of the oatmeal biscuits he loves. It took me a while to perfect the recipe but he will eat these.”  
Aelin grabbed the container and placed it in her backpack, then grabbed the coffees and the paper bag with the apple turnovers. “Thank you, Maeve.”  
She left the coffee shop and began walking toward the alien that was Rowan. How was it possible that he did not like sweet food? He could not be a regular human being.  
Once at the bookshop she realised her hands were full, and Rowan was looking the other way.  
With her butt she pushed the door open and a moment later Rowan finally noticed her struggle and was at her side holding the door before she dropped everything and made an epic mess of their breakfast.  
“You could have said something. I would have helped you carry everything.”  
“I did try to get your attention but you were staring at the computer.”  
“Sorry, I was dealing with an order.”  
“You are an alien, by the way.” In a few steps she closed the distance and walked to the counter where she deposited the two take thermos mugs.  
“Excuse me?”  
“How can you not like sweet stuff?”  
Aelin plopped the container with his biscuits on the counter and then the bag with her breakfast “Your aunt made your favourite biscuits.”  
“I like to eat healthy foods.” And munched on his own biscuits.  
She scooted past him and sat on the high chair behind the counter and enjoyed her breakfast and her smile was back and Rowan relaxed a bit. He hadn’t seen her in two days and he was worried after what happened last time she was there.  
Aelin pointed a finger at him “so boring.” She wiggled her finger at him.  
Rowan launched forward and pretended to bite her finger.  
In challenge she stared at him with a poker face and kept eating, closing her eyes with delight. The food was incredible.  
She moaned quietly and Rowan froze at the sound.  
_Fuck._  
A different kind of picture popped in his head. The two of them on a bed with far less clothes on and his mouth…  
He blinked the image away and forced himself to rid his brain of that picture.  
He coughed gently “Choked on coffee, sorry.” He lied shamelessly. She would have killed him if she had known where his mind had gone.  
_Hey Aelin, I know we just became friends, but I just imagined you naked on my bed and my head between your legs. Still fancy being my buddy?_  
He cleared his voice again “I was thinking…”  
Aelin stopped drinking her coffee and looked at him “You know that is dangerous for you, right?”  
He glared at her and continued “Would you like to… I thought that maybe…” he was struggling to find the way to suggest to her the idea he had thought about last time he had seen her. Why was he so bad at this?  
“The shop… you could, work with me. If you want.” He clarified quite quickly “It’s just an offer. You love books, you have a knack for displays,” and he pointed at her table “and you might like the money too…I can't pay you like a doctor but, it's just the two of us, thus the pay is quite decent and life on the islands is cheap."  
Aelin liked the idea. Having an income would help a lot. She had savings but they were starting to take a hit. She had even bought a car after returning the rental. And he was right, life on the islands _was_ indeed much cheaper. She was so used to the astronomical price in London.  
“Are you asking me to work here?” He could see the joy in her eyes and the view took his breath away.  
“Yeah… and I sucked at it.”  
Aelin deposited her mug on the desk and then threw her arms around his neck and squealed in delight “Of course.” Then she quickly moved away and began jumping behind the counter “I will be working in a bookstore. Do I get staff discount?”  
“You can get a staff discount.” He nodded and Aelin smiled again.  
But a part of Rowan was terrified. Last time he had another person working in the shop it did not end well. He tucked the sadness away and convinced that this time it was different. He and Aelin were just friends. She was not interested in him that way, plus she had the other guy and probably it was for the better.  
He breathed deeply and regained focus. He left the counter and went to his back office. When he got back he had a bundle in his hands “I have been thinking about this for a few days now and I got you a t-shirt to work here.”  
“Mine.” Said Aelin grabbing the t-shirt and disappearing to the staff toilet to get changed. She came back a few minutes later grinning “How do I look?”  
She walked to him swayed her hips in a sensual way that made Rowan sweat “Perfect. Now get that box and start unpacking.”  
“Yes, sir.” Aelin produced a military salute and went back to work.  
The two worked in silence for a few hours. Aelin unpacking, checking the deliveries and arranging some of the display. Rowan at the counter working on his computer on paperwork.  
They had a busy morning and Aelin had a lot of fun helping the customers giving time to Rowan to do his stuff. They even had a few groups of tourists in an Aelin gave her loads of suggestions.  
She was giddy. Again that feeling of lightness in her soul she hadn’t felt in ages.  
On her knees she was rearranging the fiction section and stopped to look at a book that sounded quite interesting “Have you read this?” She asked him, waving the books in his direction.  
Rowan joined her and kneeled in front of her, far too close for comfort.  
He took the book from her hands and looked at it. Aelin in the meantime stared at him transfixed and a small smiled appeared on her face. She wanted to run her hand in his hair. She wanted to taste if his lips were as soft as she imagined them. And his hands. She stared at his hands.  
Lysandra’s comment popped in her head and she pushed it away. She was at work. Not appropriate.  
“Spaceship Rowan to Aelin, are you there?”  
Fuck. Did he notice her staring at him like a moron?  
“Sorry, away with the fairies.”  
“I said that this is a good one.”  
“Good.” She regained control of herself and placed the book on the side on the floor “I’ll give it a go.”  
In that instant the door opened and they both looked up and Aelin gasped.  
Elias just entered the shop, then he looked at her close proximity with Rowan, and gave him a hard stare.

Rowan stood quickly “Hello.” He said quite icily.  
“Hi Elias.” That was all she could manage. Her heart was racing madly in her heart.  
“My meeting finished early. So I went for coffee, passed in front of here and saw you.” He noticed her uniform “In that.”  
“Oh yeah. I started working here.”  
“Since when?”  
“Since about two hours ago.”  
“Oh.” That’s all he said. A strange emotion flashed in his eyes. Was Elias mad at her? Was that jealousy?  
“I don’t have meeting until later in the afternoon. Fancy going for a ride?” And he uttered the words while staring at Rowan in a clear challenge to the man at Aelin’s side.  
Aelin turned to Rowan. He nodded and placed a hand on her lower back in an almost proprietary gesture and Elias noticed the gesture.  
“You can go. I got all my paperwork done this morning, thanks to you. I man the fort for the afternoon. Go, have fun.” There was a softness in his words she never felt from him. He jerked his head “Go.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Positive.” with his hand on her back he pushed her away from him.  
“I’ll se you tomorrow, I guess?”  
Rowan gave her a wonderful warm smile.  
Then Elias held out a hand to her and she timidly took it “Ready to go?”  
“My backpack.” She collected her belongings and she joined the man.  
One last look at Rowan and she followed Elias out, feeling guilty.  
They went to his car and he started driving. Both in silence.  
They were on the road, in the countryside outside Stornoway when she finally broke the silence “You are mad.”  
“I am not.” His tone told her otherwise.  
Aelin scoffed “Yes you are. You are gripping the steering wheel so hard that your knuckles are almost white.”  
He realised his mistake and released the grip a bit.  
“Most importantly. You are mad at me.”  
“Why were you working with him? I thought you were a doctor.” He was definitely spoiling for a fight.  
She looked outside the window and stared at the rolling landscape and tried to soothe the pain in her soul.  
“So what? Does that mean I can’t work in a bookshop?”  
“You can work wherever you want, okay?” And his anger came back. “It just seems a waste.”  
Aelin’s head whipped in his direction and flashed him a deadly glare “You what?” Her tone matched his in terms of nastiness.  
“All I am saying is that it sounds like you were this awesome doctor down in London and now you are here, in this small town, playing bookseller. Damn it, Aelin. Dream bigger.”  
A surge of savage anger rushed through her “Stop the car.” When he did not comply she shouted again “Stop the fucking car, Elias.”  
Worried by her tone, he pulled over in a safe place and she stormed out as soon as the car was stopped.  
She slammed the door and moved to the front of the car, meeting him “How dare you.” She growled at him “How fucking dare you to tell me what to do with my life. Dream big?” She pushed him on his chest “I dreamt big my entire fucking life. I had a goal. And that goal has been taken from me in the most hurtful way possible, so don’t you dare.” She sat on the hood and refused to look at him “I gave my life to my job. Every single fucking day of my life.” She said through gritted teeth “And it probably even costed me my marriage. I gave everything.”  
She was breathing hard and she knew a panic attack was coming. She had a few in the past few days. And the thing scared the hell out of her. Last time she suffered from panic attacks was when she was an intern. That’s how messed up her life was just now.  
She tucked her arms around her waist, closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing.  
“I am sorry, I didn’t…” he was in front of her and there was deep sadness in his eyes. “I am an idiot. I am sorry, Aelin.”  
She started crying as well. She was struggling to breath and when she tried to pull away from the car hood, Elias had the scare of his life when she collapsed on her knees “Shit, Aelin.”  
She was crying and hyperventilating at the same time. Her tears now turned into full ugly sobs.  
He moved closer but Aelin pushed him away “Don’t touch me.”  
He ignored her and hugged her. She fought him for a moment but then she she gave up to his embrace.  
Elias felt her shaking.  
“I can’t breathe…” her voice was shaky and he recognised the telltales of a panic attack.  
He lifted her chin “Look at me.” And she did “Breath in… then breath out. In.. and out…” He caressed her head trying to give her some comfort after he was the one who caused all of this.  
She did just that for a few minutes.  
“How are you feeling?”  
“Dizzy and about to be sick.” She jumped up and run at the side of the road and hurled.  
Elias stared at her with worry not knowing wether his proximity would help or make things worse.  
Aelin leaned on the car exhausted. She was still shaking but he breathing was slowly going back to normal but she still felt very dizzy. Probably from all the hyperventilating. Damn she was a doctor she should be able to handle her panic attacks better. But in the past few days they have been quite bad. And that did nothing to lower her stress levels. She was almost at the breaking point.  
She turned toward Elias and a wave of dizziness hit her.  
He noticed her sway on her feet and a moment later he was at her side “Hey…” his arms went around her “Shhh… hold on to me.” He felt her arms loosely wrap around his back.  
“I am taking you home.”  
“I am fine.” She added stubbornly, pushing away from him to prove that she was okay. But she wasn’t. When she swayed another time, Elias lifted her in his arms and opened the passenger door “We are going home. You need to rest. Panic attacks this bad can leave you exhausted for a while.”  
He got back in the car and began driving back into town.  
Fifteen minutes later he was back at the marina in their usual car park.  
“Hey, baby…” she gently nudged her awake “We are back.”  
Aelin woke up and looked at him and then focused her eyes on the area around her. She went to open the door but Elias’ hand was on hers “Let me drive you home, please.”  
“I can walk.” Her voice told him otherwise.  
“Aelin, please.” Then he smiled and lifted his hands “I’ll keep them to myself. I promise. I just want to see you home safely. You gave me a fright.”  
She sat back and gave in. “Fine. I live on Newton st. The only light blue cottage there.”  
He replied with a smile and she leaned back.  
Five minutes later they arrived in front of her cottage. He parked along the pavement and left the car, walked in front of it and in a matter of seconds he was at her side holding the door open for her “M’lady…” and bowed.  
Aelin stood and still felt a bit dizzy, something he did notice so he followed her.  
In front of the door, Aelin hesitated “Come in. We had no lunch and you must be famished.”  
“You don’t have to cook for me.”  
Aelin did her best to give him a weak smile “I have some Indian leftovers, if you are not too fussy.”  
“Which one did you use?”  
“The one along the main road to Lews castle. Apparently that is the best one in town.”  
“That _is_ the best one.”  
They entered the room. He noticed her removing her shoes and he did the same. “Kitchen is on the right.” She directed him, her voice filled with exhaustion.  
“Do you want some as well?”  
Aelin shook her head, “I’ll just have some chamomile tea.”  
She left him in the living room and made her way to her bedroom upstairs.  
She came back a few minutes later in her pyjama.  
Elias was in the living room. A plate full of food on the coffee table a glass of water and a mug of steaming chamomile for her.  
“A cookie monster pyjama.” He laughed “You are the woman of my dreams.” She lifted her leg, wiggled her toes showing off her Calvin and Hobbes socks.  
“You are bloody perfect, you know?”  
She ignored the comment “Is the food still good?”  
“Oh yeah. I usually buy a lot from them and polish it off the next day and it’s always still tasty. Not my first time.”  
He turned to her and she looked exhausted and he felt deep worry “I am sorry for what I said.”  
She leaned heavily against the back of the sofa “Not today, Elias, I don’t have the mental strength right now.”  
“You should go to bed.”  
“The chamomile usually helps me sleep.” She took a sip and tasted something sweet “Did you put honey in it?”  
“Yeah, that’s how my mom used to make it for me when I was little. It tastes amazing.”  
Aelin took another sip and hummed in pleasure. “Sweet to perfection.”  
“Get a room you two.”  
Slowly she leaned on his shoulder. He shifted his position a bit so that she could lean a bit more comfortably against him.  
Slowly he placed the empty plate on the coffee table and leaned back. One arm went around her back and pulled her closer. With the other he removed a stray lock of hair from her face.  
Aelin continued sipping her tea but both stayed in silence for a while.  
She was still mad at him for what he had said, but she had no strength to fight. So, she just gave up and enjoyed his presence beside her.  
“I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was little.” He started telling her, hoping to distract her from her thoughts “I had watched Indiana Jones a bit too much I guess. But also, my parent’s house was near Callanish as well. They live about ten minutes form my current house.” The hand around her shoulder started caressing her hair “My dad used to take me and my brother to the stones almost on a daily basis and tell us all the myths and legends. And that’s when the obsession started.”  
“That place is awesome.”  
“My brother loved the legends but he was in the firefighter phase.” He explained “And by the way he actually is a firefighter. He is the captain of his unit.”  
“No way.”  
Elias nodded “I, on the other hand I started using our garden to dig holes. I knew that was an area rich in settlements remains and I was adamant our garden contained an archeological treasure. I destroyed my mum’s garden.” And he laughed “When I was in high school I did manage to get a placement with some guys working on digs on Shetland, the islands in the very, very north of Scotland. They have some amazing Viking stuff. It’s mind-blowing. Anyway…” he stopped when he felt he hand on his knee “I spent a month working on the remains of a Viking longhouse. It was epic.”  
“It sounds like. I love Vikings.”  
“Then I came back home, went back to school and one of my teachers destroyed my dream of becoming an archaeologist. She told me that I was going to waste my time. She one was of those who believe only scientific careers actually mattered. Not a nice woman. But I was young and I listened to her. So I took engineering.”  
She squeezed his knee “Med school is just as a nightmare as they paint it. Your social life disappears. And once you are an intern… sleep becomes a luxury as well. That’s when the panic attacks started. My stress levels were off the roof. Too much coffee, lack of sleep, infinite hours. By the time I finished I was a wreck. I choose my specialisation and worked hard every day of my life. Then a year ago everything went to shit.”  
“You said you were married.”  
Aelin nodded “We met at the hospital. He is a police officer. I had been called in the A&E for a consult on a police officer who had been injured pretty badly in the line of duty in a very seriously deprived part of London. The officer was trying to stop a case of domestic abuse. He almost got killed in the process. Chaol, my ex, was his partner. That’s when we met. Seeing the police in an A&E was not unusual. And I used to do a lot of rotations there as well if I was not in surgery. Anyway, Chaol once brought me a cup of coffee, we started chatting and we hit it off. Four years later we married. Five more and I gave him divorce papers.”  
He pulled even closer and kissed the top of her head “Do you regret the divorce?”  
“Hell no, he had it coming. No… no…” she grabbed her mug again “But it just not easy to ignore nine years spent with someone, especially when eight of those years had been great.”  
“I imagine you can’t.”  
Elias then stood and cleared up his dishes.  
By the time he washed everything, she had fallen asleep on the sofa.  
Gently he lifted her in his arms and walked upstairs looking for the bedroom. He put her to bed and covered her with the blankets.  
He found a notepad and scribbled down a note for her

_You fell asleep while I was doing the dishes. That should have been me :)  
Hope you and cookie monster had a nice slumber, my princess.  
I’ll text you tomorrow to check that you are okay.  
I have a crazy day at work tomorrow so no adventure.  
Please, take it easy._

_Good night,  
Elias._

He then got back downstairs, grabbed the keys from a tray on a shelf, left the house, locked the door and pushed the keys through the letterbox.  
Once outside he looked up at her bedroom door and smiled.  
He was mad about her.  
He’d move the world for one of her smiles.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people :)
> 
> here's chapter 8 for you.  
> This chapter is a turning point in Aelin and Rowan's relationship.  
> Nothing major... but definitely a major development for them.
> 
> I hope you love it.
> 
> Gaelic:  
> "Thig a-steach. - come in

The next morning the weather was giving its worst. A terrible storm had abated on the town. According to the news from Aelin’s phone the wind had reached peak speeds over 120kph during the night. And she had heard that. Her windows had rattled all night long. She has spent the night hidden under the duvet trying to ignore the storm outside. She had been scared.  
Heavy rain had fallen non stop. On top of that the town had suffered a major power cut and they had been without power since the middle of the night.  
When morning finally came she opened the curtains and noted the sky laden with dark clouds. The rain was still heavy and the sea was angry. The pier was empty and she assumed the ferry did not manage to travel that morning. It would have been one heck of a hellish crossing.  
In the distance she heard sirens from the emergency services and guessed that the damage was quite bad.  
Very quickly she got dressed and then tried to phone Rowan and suddenly realised that, apart from the number of the shop, she had no other way of contact him. An error that had to be rectified immediately.  
She wore a few layers of clothing and a waterproof jacket and then left the house.  
Once out of the house she discovered that the wind still had not abated and it was howling.  
A massive wave crashed against the pier and the spray reached all the way to her “Bloody hell.”  
She braced herself and ran. Ran all the way to Rowan’s and by the she time arrived she was soaked through and freezing.  
She reached the shop and of course it was closed. So next stop was Maeve’s. Once there she found Rowan helping Maeve cleaning up the coffee shop which looked like it had suffered some flooding  
“Morning.” She said sleepily.  
Maeve noticed her “Aelin darling, come in please it’s horrible outside.”  
Looking around she noticed that most of the water had been cleared and she and Rowan had created a safe corner with two camping gas stoves. It looked like Maeve had coffee on the go and some sort of warm breakfast. In that moment she was greater for the woman’s resourcefulness.  
“How are you?” Asked Rowan moving closer to her. When he noticed she was shivering her pulled her to him “You are cold.” He brushed his hands on her back to try and heat her up a bit “Take off the jacket, it’s wet and cold. Not good.” He left for a moment and came back with a hoodie in his hands “Put this on. Maeve has gas heating in here which is still working and it was on the radiator.”  
Aelin grabbed the hoodie and wore it and it was warm and soft on her skin. She snuggled in it and breathed in the scent. Pine and snow. That was Rowan’s scent.  
“Can I help with anything?” She offered.  
“My aunt is trying to prepare breakfast enough to offer it to first responders and people who need it as well. Some of the houses closer to the waterfront have suffered heavy flooding.” Then he stopped and realised he had no idea where she lived and if her house was safe. “Is your house okay?”  
Aelin nodded, “I live towards the end of Newton st. and I am further away from the pier. But the road was flooded and my garden was swimming as well. But the house is fine a part from not having power.”  
“The whole town is down.”  
“I kinda guessed.”  
Maeve reappeared at the front “Rowan darling, go and tell the first responders that I have food, coffee and tea ready. Food is very basic given the situation but at least I have something. Aelin and I will hand out provisions.”  
Inside Maeve’s shop it was quite nice and cozy and slowly people started to flock in, in search of some relief, warmth and a dry place.  
"Thig a-steach.” She said to the people and Aelin helped handing out the food. Some people stopped to talk to her, fascinated by the Londoner who had moved to Stornoway and was learning Gaelic. A few grandmas had even played matchmaking with their handsome and single grandsons.  
Rowan came back half an hour later with a couple of firemen. She hoped Maeve’s place was okay. She really loved it there.  
Aelin walked up to Rowan and the firemen “Hi,” she said interrupting them “My name is Aelin. I am doctor. Is there anything I can do to help?”  
One of the firemen looked at her “We have set up a temporary tent operating as triage. A couple of paramedics are looking after the minor cases. The ones that do not have to go to the hospital. We are trying not to overwhelm the A&E.”  
Aelin had done enough shifts in overwhelmed A&E especially on a Saturday night and knew how bad it was.  
“Take me there, please. I can help. I want to help.”  
One of the firemen nodded. Aelin noticed that he looked familiar and wondered if that was Elias’ brother.  
Rowan looked at Aelin and gave her a smile. Then she removed the hoodie “Keep it warm and dry for me for when I come back.” He nodded and took the hoodie back.  
“Oh, and by the way… you know that that hoodie is now mine, don’t you?”  
“I’ll make sure it smells a lot like me when you come back.” And gave her a huge grin in response.  
“You better.” She added with a smile and followed the fireman out of the shop.  
Once arrived at the tent the fireman explained the situation to the two paramedic women and they were very grateful for the extra help.  
Aelin got all geared up and began working through the queue. Their patients were mostly minor injuries but still, it gave her back the vibes and the adrenaline of an A&E.  
By the time lunch and afternoon came, Aelin was exhausted and famished. But it was a good exhausted. She had helped. Made a difference and it helped her renew the love for the job she had chosen.  
Not long after she finished, Rowan showed up at the tent.  
“Hey,” he said staying on the threshold.  
Aelin removed her gloves and went to him.  
“How’s aunt Maeve’s shop doing?”  
“Fine. The fire dept gave us more camping gas stoves. She called a couple of the other staff members and now they have a full kitchen up for the people and everyone working.” Then he lifted a bag “And I am bringing lunch. Aunt’s orders.”  
“Thank you. I am starving.”  
He smiled, deposited the bag on the floor and zipped up her paramedic jacket “It’s cold outside.”  
He picked up the bag of food again and took her hand in his “Come.”  
“Uh?”  
“We are going to have lunch in a quiet and dry place.”  
“Okay.”  
He put an arm around her shoulder and tucked her close to him while they were walking along the road.  
She loved the feeling of being so close to him. His scent relaxed her.  
“Where are we going?”  
“My place.”  
Aelin turned to him in disbelief.  
When they finally arrived at his place she noticed he stayed in a small semi-detached house and he had a well tended garden. The house seemed very cozy.  
She followed him inside removed her jacket and her shoes and stood there.  
“Go to the living room.” And he passed her the bag full of food. “I’ll go and get some stuff.”  
Tentatively she took a few steps inside the room. The curtains were still drawn so the place was bathed in darkness. She took her phone from he jeans and switched on the torch. Once having reached the windows safely, she opened the curtain to let the light in.  
She then turned and noticed the incredible amount of books. That room was paradise. He had books everywhere, in all the possible nooks and crannies.  
“I run out of space a long time ago. I have my least favourite in the attic. I just love books.” And he shrugged.  
“This living room is just wonderful. I am so jealous right now.”  
“I have some candles. The light coming from the outside is not much and this should help.”  
He placed a few candles around the house and she laughed when she noticed they were battery powered.  
“Really? You just killed the mood.”  
He looked up at her grinning “There is no way I light up real fire near so many books. Such a massive hazard.”  
Aelin laughed and started unpacking the food containers and placing the stuff on the plates he had brought through.  
“I put the heating on as well, so it should get cozy soon.”  
“Come sit down and eat. You must be hungry too.” And she patted the spot beside her.  
He nodded and sat beside her.  
They ate quietly. Aelin a few times did try to start a conversation but always stopped not sure if he wanted to talk or not.  
“Did you go to uni?” She asked. That was a safe question, hopefully.  
“I did. I studied business management in Glasgow. It came quite useful once I opened my bookshop.”  
“How the idea came about? To open the shop?”  
She noticed Rowan stiffen.  
Shit. Wrong question already.  
Rowan breathed deeply and decided it was time to listen to his aunt. It was time to open up.  
He placed his plate on the coffee table “There was this girl, Lyria.” He started, and the usual tug of pain was still there. “We met at uni down in Glasgow. She was from the islands as well. We started dating after we both came back here after graduating.” He closed his eyes and leaned a bit deeper on the back couch  
“I always loved books. But I hated the idea of using my degree for a boring corporate job. It was not for me. So I started working on an idea: open a bookshop.” He breathed deeply again, trying to chase away the pain “My parents had passed in an accident when I was little but they left me a fund. It allowed me to buy this house and also have enough money left to start my shop. So I used every penny to buy an empty shop in town, I did it up and a year later I had my shop.” Aelin stretched a hand and placed on his, now in a fist on his knee.  
“I knew Lyria was looking for a job so I offered her one and we started working together. We picked the name of the shop and began thinking about what books to have. She was not a proper bookworm like me, but she liked books enough.”  
Aelin looked at him and noticed the pain in his eyes. What had this woman done to him to cause him such anguish?  
“We started dating. Quite seriously. She moved in with me after a while. We started talking about the future, dreams and whatnot. I was never one for flings. I was committed to her to the fullest. I wanted a family, a nice house and kids. The whole package. At the time she told me she wanted it too. And I believed her.”  
He stood irritated and walked to the window “Just over a year ago I proposed to her. I was ready and she gave me the impression that she was ready too.”  
“Shit.”  
“About nine months ago she started getting weird with me. Some nights she would not come home and I later found out she was staying at a friend’s house. She barely talked to me anymore and we stopped…being intimate. She started making up excuses why she was not in the mood. Then all of a sudden she stopped coming to the bookstore and she never bothered to tell me why.” Hi voice now a mere whisper.  
“Finally I decided to confront her and find out what was happening. She told she was getting cold feet, that she didn’t want to get married anymore, that she made a mistake and she thought she loved me but it was more an infatuation. She told me that my obsession with having a family was freaking her out. But I never pushed the whole kids issue. I was happy to wait for her to be ready. She told me we wanted different things and that I had to go and find myself a woman who wanted all that because she was not the one. The next day she came to the bookshop and gave me back the ring.”  
Aelin reached him at the window and put a hand on his shoulder “I am sorry, but what a bitch.”  
She heard a very soft chuckle “I called her worse. Apparently my aunt spotted her a few times with a guy while we were still engaged. I never knew if she was fully cheating on me as well. Anyway, she got a job at An Lanntair.”  
Aelin face lit up in surprise “Is she a brunette? Brownish eyes?”  
Rowan nodded  
“Shit. The first day I was here I went inside and then asked for a bookshop and she told me to look for Rowan’s. Not the name of the shop but yours.”  
“I can’t go in there anymore, And I love that place but the idea of seeing her…”  
She took his hands and squeezed it. Then she leaned against his back and hugged him from behind. He did not shy away from the contact. On the contrary he grabbed her hands on his stomach and squeezed them tightly.  
“Sounds we both have horrible exes.” Aelin knew that was the time. She had to open up to him. She did it with Elias but it had not felt satisfying. She had a feeling that opening up to Rowan was her chance to finally move on and begin to heal.  
“What do you mean?” He asked not moving from the position they were in and Aelin thanked him for that. It felt perfect.  
“I was married, Rowan. Until a year ago I was married.”  
She felt him stiffen “What did he do?” His tone was cold.  
“He was a police office. We met at the hospital after his partner got injured badly. We had coffee… we hit it off, the usual thing. We started dating and I was happy.” She felt his hands squeezing hard “We were together for four year before he proposed to me. We were married for five.” It actually felt good to talk to him. Just as good as it always felt with Lysandra “But toward the end he became weird too. Life of a police officer is quite hectic too, and we could go on for a whole week without seeing each other, that had happened. But all of a sudden I noticed his shift pattern had started to change to a point that he was never home when I was.” She inhaled Rowan’s scent to try and calm down “One day I was on my break after surgery and I decided to go and see him at his work. Once I got there he was outside Police HQ, with another woman. And they were making out. I walked to him and punched him hard in the face and told the bitch to keep her tongue out of my husband’s mouth.”  
“Remind me not to piss you off again. Ever.”  
Aelin chuckled “Three days later I went to his job. Reached his office area and dumped divorce paper on his desk and told him _Try and solve this case, officer Westfall_. That night he came back home from work and we had a brutal fight. During the afternoon I had asked my friends Lysandra and Aedion to help me move out the following day. Lysandra had a spare room and she took me in. The divorce was brutal.” She hold him as tight as she could “He kept blaming me. According to him it was my fault. I was the one who was too obsessed with her work to care about her husband. He had the guts to tell the lawyers that I induce him to cheating because I was not committed anymore to the marriage. He brought up that I had told him I did not want a family. Which was a lie by the way.” Rowan finally turned around and pulled Aelin to his chest “I did want kids. But we were not thirty yet at the time of this conversation and I told him I wanted to wait a bit. He agreed. But during the divorce he lied.” Aelin pulled away from Rowan and went back to the sofa and sat down, her head in her hands “And I am so damn glad we did not have kids. Imagine the mess.” He heard her sob “He made me pass for a monster. For the one that had given up on our marriage. He was the one fucking another woman for months. And when I told the lawyers that he was never at home and probably sleeping with another woman, he told them that he had been moved to the night shift.” She brushed away the tears with the back of her hand “I checked with is CO. Chaol was not on the night shift.”  
Rowan kneeled in front of her, with a finger lifted her face staring at her in her eyes, now puffy “I am glad you punched him. I hope you broke something.”  
Aelin chuckled “It has been almost a year, but I still have so much rage.”  
“That I can relate to. A least you could punch him. I could never do that to Lyria.”  
“I can do that for you.” Aelin offered with a grin.  
Rowan sat beside her and they stayed in silence for a moment.  
“I am so tired…” she leaned on the side and ended up against him.  
Rowan got up and came back after a few minutes with a blanket and a fluffy pillow. He got the sofa ready for her “Lie down and rest. The sofa is very comfortable.”  
She followed his suggestion and lay down.  
“I am going back to my aunt and see if she need more help.”  
“I should come to.” She sat back up but Rowan was on his knees near where her head was, he removed hair from her face “No. Stay here and sleep, please.”  
“Leave me you mobile number.”  
Rowan looked at her “I… I actually don’t have a mobile phone.”  
Aelin sat up abruptly “No way.”  
“I just don’t need it.”  
“How can I call you?”  
“Just phone my aunt, if you need me.” He kissed her head and stood “Come on. Stop being a spoiled brat and sleep.”  
Aelin plunged back on the sofa and buried herself under the cozy blanket transforming herself in a human burrito.  
“Be careful out there.”  
Rowan smiled at her tenderly and left.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand chapter 9 is here.
> 
> Aelin and Lysandra have a very interesting conversation.
> 
> Aelin and Rowan have a fun day at work and their relationship evolves a bit more.
> 
> Elias does not have the brightest of the moments... but hey, the poor man is competing against Rowan. I'd be nervous as well if I were him.
> 
> A couple of things about updates.  
> Chapter 10 is faaaaaaar from being completed So I highly doubt I will update tomorrow. I am coming back home late from work so it will be Wednesday.  
> Also, I ran out of the chapter I wrote quite easily at the beginning (That's why the speedy updates) so I will post a bit slower, but don't worry. I want to keep posting regularly.
> 
> Well, that's all the announcements.
> 
> Happy reading <3

After the bad storm the town was slowly returning to normality. The emergency services had worked non stop to fix the power cut and to re establish the phone lines.  
Rowan had decided to open a bit later that day since he was still helping out his aunt to clear up her place and gave Aelin the morning off.  
Knowing that it was Friday and that Lysandra was off work, she decided to give her a call. She hadn’t heard from her in a while and she missed her friend.  
“Hey stranger,’ said Aelin in greeting “Do you still remember me now that you have a boyfriend?”  
“Always. Aedion still does not know that he is the third wheel and that you are my only love.”  
“I miss you.” Aelin confessed and Lysandra picked up her sad tone immediately.  
“Un-oh what happened?”  
“Remember when I told you that I had not yet found a sexy Scottish guy?”  
Lysandra laughed. Her friend had been teasing her non stop about that. “Yes. Forget the asshole down here and get a move on.”  
“I lied.” Aelin took a breath “I have two.”  
Over the phone she heard Lysandra gasp loudly “Tell me everything.”  
Aelin started pacing around the living room. “Scottish man number one is called Elias. He is mr Nice Guy. He is sweet, intelligent, funny and let’s not forget good looking.”  
She could just imagine her friend reaction on the other side of the phone. Lysandra was probably on the couch, her legs on the coffee table and a notebook in her hands to take notes about her love life.  
“Did you have sex with him?” Lysandra could not contain her excitement.  
“No, Lys!!”  
“Just asking… why not? Especially if he is so hot.”  
Aelin stopped in front of the window staring outside and mulling over an explanation.  
“Because of Rowan.”  
“Ah… let me guess, he is Scottish man number two.”  
Aelin sighed and Lysandra took the sound as a yes.  
“Ok, what’s his deal?” She could ear her friend munching on something. Sweeties of some kind, she bet.  
Aelin picked up pacing again “We… we had a very bumpy start. He basically hated me, but we are on the mend.” She picked up the last book she took home from the shop.  
“Sure. Sure. Is he sexy as well?”  
“He is… so handsome that it hurts. He has silver hair and the most amazing green eyes I have seen in my life.” She closed her eyes for a second and pictured his face and a timid smile appeared on her face.  
“Silver as in grey? Damn, is he old? Are you contemplating a May-September romance?”  
“No. His hair is silverish and is as old as me.”  
“Sexy.” Commented Lysandra laughing.  
“He has a bookstore and I work at his shop.” She confessed in the end and waited for Lysandra.  
“You do not.”  
“I do.”  
“So extra sexy bonus.”  
A massive extra bonus. Not only he was extremely attractive physically. She was drawn to him intellectually as well and that was a turn on. They could talk about books for hours, something she had never been able to do with Chaol as he read the only genre of books she hated: crime.  
“But things are complicated. He has baggage too.” And she knew that was just an excuse to justify her indecision.  
“Who doesn’t, Aelin. Especially if he is close to you age. What do you expect? If he is as hot as you say, of course he has been with other women.”  
Aelin sighed again “It’s more complicated than that.”  
“And I assume you can’t choose.” Lysandra was always spot on.  
“I… Lys damn…” she felt so frustrated by the situation.  
“Let it go, darling.”  
“Elias… is easy to be with. He is aloof. He has baggage as well but he laughs about it. There is very little drama with him. He makes me laugh and he is caring.”  
“But?”  
“We kissed but.… it felt wrong. The kiss was good but it just felt wrong.” She had thought about it for a while. Being with him had been easy. Their adventures had been fun and when he was nice to her and it was okay but it never felt fully right.  
“And what about Rowan.”  
“I am not sure where we stand. We are both stuck, but when I am with him I feel things, emotions that not even Chaol gave me. He feels right, Lys.”  
“Have you smooched?”  
“No. We held each other, he kissed my head. He gave me his hoodie.” She felt like a schoolgirl at her first experience. But maybe there were some advantages to going slow. “I think I have feelings for him. Big damn scary feelings.”  
“How big?”  
“I want to kiss him. Badly. Run my hand through his hair. And his arse, Lys… damn that man has the most amazing arse ever.”  
Lysandra laughed “What about his hands?”  
“Let’s just say that I want them to do the most despicable things to me.”  
Lysandra laughed hard in Aelin’s ear “someone is really horny. And Elias does not make you feel like this?”  
Aelin closed her eyes for a moment and thought about the times they kissed and although the kisses had been good, they had not awakened the same fire.  
“Nope. I like him but no… not even a spark.”  
“You want Rowan, Aelin. This is quite clear.” And Aelin knew Lysandra was right.  
“I don’t want to hurt Elias. He has been nothing but nice to me.”  
“Ae, you can’t keep them both. From what you told me it sounds like you like Rowan more, but I can’t be the one telling you what to do. You are there and have to decide. Whichever way you go one is going to suffer.”  
She missed her friend deeply. Lys had always helped her when she was in trouble with something. They were good at brainstorming and Lys had the power to show her what she didn’t want to see.  
“There is a reason why I always ask you when it comes to men.”  
Lysandra scoffed  
“How’s Aedion?”  
“He is coming over later.” And Aelin laughed. She was happy that Lysandra had finally what she wanted. She deserved it.  
“So you’re going to spend your day off having sex.”  
“Oh no, we’ll have lunch and dinner too. Don’t worry.”  
Aelin looked dat the clock and discovered it was time to go to the shop “hey babe, gotta go. Rowan is expecting me at the bookshop. Thanks fro the chat.”  
“I am here. Whenever you need me. Just keep me posted.”  
“I will. Love you.”  
They said goodbye and Aelin hung up.  
Then she ran for the shower.

Half and hour later she was on her way to the bookstore.  
The chat with Lysandra had helped and she thought she had finally made up her mind about which man she wanted by her side.  
But her heart was not at ease yet. She was not sure if Rowan wanted to be in a relationship again, especially now that they worked together. What happened with Lyria had shaken him a lot she did not think he was ready yet and she was not going to push him. But still, she could not stop thinking at how close they had been the day before. How she had held him at the window. He had not pulled away from her but indulged in the contact with her.  
Without realising it she had reached the shop.  
“Morning,”  
“Nice hoodie.” He said to her pointing at what she was wearing. He had brought back the hoodie after he went back to his place and found her asleep on the sofa as he had ordered.  
“I think so too.” And she snuggled in it “A guy gave it to me.”  
‘How dare he?”  
Aelin grinned and joined him at the counter. His eyes were alive and the lines of his face were soft, she just wanted to go on her toes and kiss him. badly.  
“How’s Maeve’s shop?”  
Rowan nodded “all fine. Fire dept say it’s safe for her to go back to business as normal.”

They were still speaking when a group of tourist made their way into the shop.  
“Hi,” Aelin greeted them “Let me know if you need something.”  
A moment later she spotted the shy kid hiding behind his father’s leg. She kneeled in front of him and offered him her hand “Hi, I am Aelin.”  
The boy’s head peaked out and stared at the woman in front of him.  
“Marcus.” He replied timidly.  
“That is a very great name.” And the boy smiled back and moved away from his father.  
“Do you like books?”  
The boy nodded.  
“Can you read already?” Aelin guessed the boy was either four or five and although some kids would start to read at that age it was still a bit early.  
“Very little.” Answered the father I still read to him at the moment, but he is learning and he is making good progress.”  
“I think I have something for you.” Aelin stood and went to the kids section and grabbed a book then went back to the family. Kneeled again and gave the book to the boy “This is for you. I think you will like it, if you can’t read it ask your dad, okay?” And brushed her hand in his dark hair. The boy gave her a toothy grin.  
The boy nodded and in the end he gave her a huge hug and thanked her.  
“Do you and your husband have kids yet?” The man asked looking at Rowan when he said the word husband.  
Aelin froze. She turned to Rowan who was laughing silently in his corner while following the scene.  
“No, not yet.”  
“Well, you seem a natural around kids. It will help you when you have them.”  
Aelin stood and let the family continue browse until they left and she and Rowan were alone again.  
As soon as the shop was empty Rowan folded in two and erupted in a wild laugh. And he kept laughing until he had tears in his eyes. Aelin stared at him from the other side of the counter with her arms folded at her chest.  
“What’s so funny, husband?”  
“Your face, wife.” And slowly the laughter calmed down and Rowan began breathing again “I am sorry that was hilarious.” The last spark of laughter bubbled on his lips.  
She ran to him and started tickling savagely until Rowan wiggled free and ran around the shop with Aelin chasing him.  
If any passerby saw them from the window they would have thought they had gone insane.  
He then turned and his hands were ready for his round of tickling.  
“You are a dead man, Whitethorn.” And Aelin began running until he caught her and pinned her to a bookcase and tickled her.  
“I yield!” She shouted. She lifted her head and noticed that Rowan’s face was mere centimetres from hers, his pine green eyes sparkling with mirth. He took her breath away. She squeezed out and went back to the desk “I am paying for that book.”  
“You don’t have to. It was a nice gesture.”  
She folded her arms again “You might be stubborn but I win, husband.”  
Rowan’s heart skipped a beat again at hearing her calling him like that. No matter how hard he tried to keep his distance from her, what happened in the shop a few minutes earlier was the clear example of why he couldn’t. Somehow, in a matter of a short period of time she had manage to steal his heart. And he didn’t want to let her go.  
The bell woke him up from his revelry and Aelin went straight to help the customers. She had been an amazing help. She was fantastic with people and would take her time to offer suggestion to customers looking for idea. She was good at listening and giving the right recommendation.  
_Something that Lyria wasn’t_ , said his treacherous mind.  
Sneakily he observed while she was discussing with a woman one of the books in her hands. A realisation sneaked in his heart. He was in love with her. Utterly and completely in love with her.  
A part of him was terrified at the idea.  
He recoiled from his thoughts when the woman Aelin was speaking to reached him at the counter with four books. He laughed internally, Aelin was good for business as well. The woman paid and left.  
“You convinced to buy four books.”  
Aelin had a smug smile on her face “She had no idea which one to choose but she was intrigued by all of them I gave her a reason for each book for why they were good. In the end she took them all.” She flicked her braid “I am amazing that way.”  
Rowan lifted his eyebrow in doubt.  
“Plus, I think she was flirting with me.”  
Rowan’s eyes bulged in surprise at the statement.  
“She kept touching my hand on purpose and brush her fingers against it.” She joined him at the counter “Maybe I should chase her and try my luck with a woman.”  
Rowan froze and his brain betrayed him with some non work friendly images. Aelin burst out laughing at his reaction “You just pictured me having sex with her.”  
“I did not such thing.” He tried to regain some composure.  
She moved closer to him and her face was very close “You did.” She winked at him “Imagine me all you want.” Her voice was soft and it sent shivers down Rowan’s spine. Then she went back around the shop tidying up where customers had moved things.  
Rowan stood in silence realising that she was shamelessly flirting with him.

The afternoon had been busy and they had quite a nice flow of customers. Aelin had worked her magic again and Rowan had a massive grin by the end of the day.  
“I guess tourist season is starting.” She joined him and she was now wearing his hoodie and a flutter of joy and smugness reached his stomach.  
“Hug me.” She said surprising him.  
“Uh?”  
“Your smell is fading. Hug me so I can top it up. Come on.” She opened her arms in welcome. A moment later she was in his arms, he held her tight, with his chin leaning on her head and he breathed in her scent. She smelled of jasmine and lavender.  
He only let go when she told him.  
“Good, I should be fine for a couple of days. But once I wash it you will have to wear it for a while.”  
Rowan bowed “Of course m’lady.”

She and Rowan had just closed the shop after a long but fun day when she got a text from Elias asking her to meet him. He was down at his usual parking spot and waiting for her.  
“See you tomorrow.” Said Rowan, touching her hand briefly.  
Aelin almost grabbed his hand back, craving contact with him.  
She said goodbye and started walking to the marina. In the distance she spotted his car and he was leaning against it as usual.  
He was wearing a suit. Probably just came for work. And yes, he was handsome but she noticed that her feelings did not go past that. No spark, no heat. Aelin sighed, she had her answer.  
She had felt a spark for him at the very beginning, but as soon as her feelings for Rowan had mutated, so had the ones for Elias.  
“Hi stranger,” he greeted her. He moved toward her for a kiss but Aelin swiftly moved to his side and kissed him on his cheek.  
The brutal realisation that she didn’t want his lips on her anymore hit her like a train wreck.  
She noticed his reaction and felt guilty. She had to find the courage to talk to him, to explain.  
“How was your day?” Aelin asked trying to keep the conversation innocent.  
“Boring and tiring, and I missed you.” He grabbed her hand and she had to fight the urge to pull back.  
“I have this effect on people. They can’t stay away from me.” She joked but something passed in his eyes.  
“That you do.” He closed the distance, an arm sneaked around her waist and pulled her into a brief kiss.  
Aelin almost pushed him back. She couldn’t. She just couldn’t anymore.  
When he let her go, she took a step back just to put some distance.  
“I need to go away for work for a week. I have to be down in Glasgow and I am flying out tomorrow.”  
Surprise washed over her at the news. She had a week to think about how to break the news to Elias. How to let him down gently without hurting him. That was good. That was really good.  
“Still too early for dinner, fancy a walk around Lews castle grounds?”  
“Okay.”  
She wanted to say no, she had a book to finish and she was dying to discuss it with Rowan but in the end she accepted and they walked in the direction fo the grounds. Always making sure there was a bit of distance between them. She felt bad when h noticed the disappointment in his eyes. Damn, she was a horrible person.  
Then he noticed her University of Glasgow hoodie. Rowan’s hoodie “I thought you studied in London.” And pointed at the writing.  
Shit. Shit. Shit.  
“It’s not mine. It’s Rowan’s…” anger flashed through his eyes. That flicker of emotion had been impossible to miss “I was cold and I left my jacket at home and he lent me his hoodie.” Liar.  
“What did he study? Book science 101?” And anger rose in her at the comment.  
“He did bushiness management.” Her reply was almost a growl.  
“You know quite a lot about him all of a sudden, even share his clothes.”  
“Where are you going with this, Elias?” Her fist clenched and unclenched at her side. She had punched a man once she had no problems doing it a second time. “We work together. We talk.”  
“I don’t like the guy, okay?” He confessed.  
“Ah, but you liked him enough when he helped you pick my book about Callanish. You had no problem with him picking the perfect present and making you look good.”  
Shock was all over his face “How do you know?”  
“I am going home. I am tired.” She turned around but he grabbed her hand.  
“Aelin…”  
“Have a good week in Glasgow.”  
She freed herself from his grip walked away and leaving him down at the marina.  
Round the corner she breathed out and a sob broke out of her.  
Quickly she walked home and once the door was locked behind her, she slid down the door and sat against it and cried.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> Chapter 10 is finally here and is a good 5k words.  
> I hope you will enjoy.  
> we finally get to know a bit more about Rowan and Lyria and yes, we get to meet her... have your rotten veggies at the ready.
> 
> Things are still a slow burn but our lovely are taking one step at a time... they have still too much to deal with. But we almost there. I promise.
> 
> Happy reading!

A couple of days had elapsed and Aelin was on her way to the bookshop with a box in her hands and a smug grin. Once inside the she noticed it was empty.  
“Rowan?” She called but no reply came. Where the heck was he? “Rowan?” She shouted louder “The shop is open and there is no one around.”  
With a thus, she dumped the box on the desk and the backpack behind it and went looking for him and found him five minutes later in the back of the shop, deep in conversation with the delivery man.  
He noticed her arrival and turned “What?” He asked at her annoyed expression.  
“The shop is unmanned.” Aelin explained, pointing at it with her extended arm.  
“It was just for five minutes.” Was his excuse.  
She stormed away and went back to the front of the shop getting ready for another day.  
Quietly she walked around the shop and took great care in fixing some of the display that looked a bit sad, then she took note of what needed replenishing and restocked some of the most popular titles. They had a few busy days and hoped for a repeat because she was enjoying herself immensely.  
“I am back.” Rowan had finally reappeared.  
“We have been quite busy yesterday, I was just replenishing some shelves.”  
With a big grin painted on his face he took her hand and dragged Aelin to her history display showing her that her book was now sold out thanks to her display.  
“I won the bet?” She jumped in excitement, clapping her hands in front of her.  
“You definitely did and I have to treat you to a massive lunch.”  
“Told you.” She folded her arms and he smiled back.  
“I admit my defeat.” Rowan’s hands went up in a yielding gesture.  
“Good, because I have a present for you.”  
She walked to the counter and grabbed the box for him while he joined her at her side with a curious expression painted on his face.  
“Open.” Aelin gave him the box.  
Rowan opened the box and froze when he noticed it contained a mobile phone.  
“I don’t understand.” He looked at her.  
“It’s for you.”  
Slowly he opened the box and took the mobile phone out “Aelin, this is an expensive gift. I would have bought one if it really meant a lot to you.”  
Aelin shook her head “No, this is a present from me.” Then searched his eyes “And there might be a little bit of a selfish reason in it.”  
His expression was puzzled.  
“The night of the storm, I woke up and I was terrified I wanted to call you and realised I couldn’t. Sometimes I am reading a book and I want to share my reactions with you in the moment and I can’t.”  
Rowan held the mobile in his hands not sure what to do with it, but Aelin went in his help. She began showing him all the buttons, then switched it on and set it up for him.  
“Enter you code.”  
Rowan looked at her, again as if she was speaking a secret language he did not know.  
“It’s a four digits code that you use to access the phone. You can also set up your fingerprint recognition, but we can do that later.”  
“When is your birthday?” He asked with curiosity.  
“September 15th.”  
“So, 1509 it is”  
Aelin laughed and entered the code for him.  
After that she spent half an hour going through all the functions of the basic apps and how to download more. Then she went to the contact list and added her phone humber.  
“This is my number. Now you can call me and text me whenever you want.” She turned to him and his smile had her toes curl.  
A moment later she was beside him and pulled him closer and instructed him to put his arms around her neck. Rowan complied and in addition placed a kiss on her temple and in that moment Aelin took a picture of them.   
That picture became Rowan’s home screen “Perfect,” she muttered, pleased by her job then she turned and gave the phone to him. “You are all set up. You will have to select a ringtone.”  
“I need to decide which song. Can I add any song I want?”  
Aelin nodded “Once you have chosen, let me know and I will do it for you.”  
Rowan played a bit with the piece of technology in his hands that still felt alien to him.   
“I also have another idea.” She said timidly “Facebook and Instagram,” and again Rowan’s face was one big puzzle and she thought there was something incredibly fascinating in the fact that he didn’t have a mobile until half an hour before and had no clue about the whole world of social media. He was a rare human being.  
“They are platforms where people share things. Facebook you share things about you and Instagram is for photos.” Rowan flinched. He was not keen on sharing his life on the internet.  
“But not for you. I have a feeling you would not like that. I was thinking about the bookshop.” She explained “We can create a Facebook page for the shop, on there you can share book recommendations, you can write reviews and talk about new books you get in. You can promote the shop. Instagram you can use it to share photos of the shop and also promote books.” She continued and saw interest dawn on his features “You can advertise your shop on the visit Outer Hebrides website, so if you have tourist browsing for things in Stornoway you will appear in the list.”  
Rowan was staring at her in amazement “I love the idea very much.”  
Aelin smiled and launched herself to his computer “Good, now go and deal withe the customers while I work my magic.”  
“As you wish…”

When Rowan came back from dealing with the customers he noticed that Aelin was very busy at work on his computer.  
“You know that I will need that soon?”  
“Paperwork can wait.” She replied not even lifting her head to look at him and Rowan used the moment to admire her a bit more. Everyday since they had started talking, she had surprised him. In every possible way. And now she had gone and transformed into his marketing agent “Why do you care so much?” He was curious. This was not her business but she seemed to have decided to help him in every possible way.  
“Because independent bookshops are something precious. You are the only one on the entire island. Or at least the only one this big.”  
Rowan smiled at her and her eyes seemed to turn even more blue.  
“Speaking of which… orders… You know you could have someone create a website for you and people could place orders online?”  
Rowan cringed a bit. He was so old fashioned it was pitiful “I don’t know…” his hand scratched the back of his neck.  
“Ro,” she said, coming away from behind the counter and stopping in front of him.  
He realised that he actually liked when she called him Ro.  
“Think about it. You could extend your business from Lewis all the way down to Barra. Other islanders could buy your books online and you’d post them. Of course the postage is at their expenses, but even large bookstore chains do that.”  
He could kiss her. She was brilliant and he could just kiss her.  
“I have a friend in London who can help you with the website. You can speak of the phone, he can send you ideas via email…” he noticed she stopped.  
“Please tell me you have an email.”  
Rowan rolled his eyes “I might not be evolved enough to have a mobile phone, but I do have an email address and I can use the internet and I buy things online. I am not that much of an underdeveloped oaf.”  
And he noticed that Aelin began laughing and her laughter was music to his ears.  
“Sure. Now stop talking. You got customers.”  
“Yes, ma’am.” and he flashed her a military salute.  
Once he was done he walked behind her and stared at what she was doing at the pc.  
“This is you Facebook page.’ And she showed him what to do. How to create posts and update pictures.  
“So, do I just… talk about books?”  
Aelin nodded and Rowan took a step closer to her. His chest was not hard against her back. He thought for a moment she would react badly but she surprised him when he felt her leaning into him. His right hand clenched and unclenched at his side resisting the urge to run his hand against her arm, to tuck her rebel strand of hair behind her ear. He restrained himself and just leaned his chin on her head and chuckled.  
“What? Making fun that I am shorter than you?”  
“No.” He chuckled again “Just loving that you are the perfect size to fit under my chin. Sooo comfy.”  
Aelin turned and slapped him gently on his shoulder “Stop mocking my less developed height. Not everyone can be a giant.”  
“Yes, Fireheart.” And he placed a kiss on the top of her head.  
“What did you call me?”  
“Fireheart, you know, like the Queen from _Cursed Kingdom_.”  
Aelin looked at him with an expression that he could not decipher.  
“You remind me a lot of her.”  
“Because I am hot like her?”  
Rowan did not reply “You have fire in you. Like her. You are both these amazing women, strong-willed and intelligent…”  
She was staring at him and he finally removed that lock of hair from her face and his hand lingered a bit longer on her cheek. How could he have fallen so badly for her in such a short time?   
His head bowed slightly, while his stare was fixed on her lips, imagining how she would taste. She looked up at him, they were so close he could feel her breath.  
He was about to close the last remnant of space, when someone came into the shop.  
The two of them jumped apart and Rowan cursed the bad timing. He wanted to kick out the customer and claim the kiss he was robbed of. He stared at her while helping the customer and could not believe that she was leaning into the kiss. She wanted it too. Did it mean she had made her choice? What about Elias? She was still seeing him and could not ignore the sting of thinking of her in the other man’s arms.  
He was jealous. That was crystal clear.  
While she was busy he went back to the computer and had a look at her project and he was impressed. She had posted some photos and wrote a lovely blurb about the shop.  
“What do you think?” She asked, sneaking under his arm so it then was around her shoulder.  
“I love it.” He said softly. _I love you._

A few hours had passed and around lunchtime Aelin had begged Rowan to close and go to Maeve’s to claim her victory meal.  
Rowan yielded. It had started to slow down a bit so they could afford to close for lunch.  
“Come on greedy guts. Let’s go and feed you, before you take it out on me.”  
In response, she gave him a massive toothy grin and grabbed his hand.

By the time they arrived a Maeve’s they were much closer and Rowan had an arm around her shoulder and Aelin was snuggling against him. Her excuse was that she loved his smell and she was trying to cover her clothes in it.  
“Well, if that’s not a surprise. So I guess you two have finally finished to kill each other.” Said the woman walking them to a table in a corner.  
“Yeah, I decided that I can keep him alive a bit longer.”  
“Gee, thanks Fireheart, I am so honoured by your goodwill. I am thy humble servant.”  
Aelin smiled “Now, stop talking, Buzzard. It’s food time.” She grabbed the menu and began reading.  
“Buzzard?”  
Aelin lowered her menu and glared at him “Yeah, when you are mad you have this predatory expression. You look like a bird of prey.”  
He took the menu from her and hid it behind his back.  
“Give me my menu.”  
“The magic word…”  
“Buzzard…” she stared in his green eyes.  
“Fireheart…” he returned the menu to her.  
“I am starving.” And at that Rowan scoffed and Aelin pinched his arm.  
“What?’ He squealed at the gesture “You are always hungry.”  
“Now shush.” She told him placing a finger on his mouth.  
Rowan gave her a few minutes.  
She was hunched over the menu and her blonde hair had spilled freely in front of her.  
With his hands he pulled her hair away from her face “How can you read with this wild mane of hair covering your eyes?” Then he pulled all her hair on one side and started braiding it in a nice neat braid and aelin was impressed at his skills.  
“Hairband?”  
Aelin removed the hairband from her wrist and Rowan tied her braid.  
He had lost control. He was aware of that. But he could not stop touching her. He needed the contact with her.   
After a while Aelin finally made up her mind and placed her order and Rowan did the same, albeit a more normal quantity of food.  
Once Maeve brought the plates Aelin was ready to dig in as her stomach had started to growl in protest.  
They were chatting and eating happily when Rowan froze when the door of the cafe opened and noticed who had entered.  
Aelin recognised the woman as well and under the table Aelin grabbed his hand showing him support. She had noticed his reaction and she wanted him to know she was there for him.  
Aelin noticed that it was another one of Maeve’s colleagues who served the brunette and not Maeve herself.  
She had a suspicion that was his aunt’s way to express her displeasure at the woman without being overtly rude.  
“Rowan.” Said the woman walking toward them and sitting down at the empty chair at their table. Aelin wanted to bite her head off and kick her away for thinking she had the right to sit down with them.  
In challenge she brought the hand that was on Rowan’s on the table, right in front of the woman’s eyes. It was petty but she did not care.  
“Lyria…” he finally managed to say something.  
Lyria looked at Rowan for a second but then her gaze shifted to Aelin and in particular on the had she was holding. _His hand._  
“So, who is your friend, Rowan? Aren’t you going to introduce me to her?” She leaned back on the chair almost in challenge.  
“I am his girlfriend.” And Aelin put an arm around Rowan’s shoulder and kissed his cheek to prove her point. Rowan in the meantime was stone-faced and silent and she knew she had to fight the woman alone. Well, bring it on.  
She squeezed his hand almost in apology and her heart ached at his expression. One moment they were having fun, a moment later he looked like a broken man.  
“What do you want?” He finally managed a sentence but his tone dripped hate.  
“So you did manage to forget me in the end.” She whispered, but luckily for them the place was quiet “Although I think your tastes have declined a bit.”  
Aelin was about to punch her. Who was this woman? How could she judge someone she had never met?  
“I thought you liked women with… more meat.” Lyria grabbed a couple of fries from Aelin’s plate in plain challenge and gave her a smirk that brought rage through her. “I am glad I finally found a real man.” She continued, not caring about the pain she was inflicting on Rowan “One who does not spend his time reading fairytales.”  
Eventually Lyria stood and went to collect her order, say goodbye to Rowan and leaned toward Aelin “Bye stick.”  
Aelin jumped up, ready to inflict a beating, but Rowan grabbed her hand.  
“Leave her.” His tone was strained and that’s all she needed to sit back down and swallow her pride.  
“She just called me a stick.” Aelin growled “I have curves and boobs.” She sighed and crossed her arms at her chest “What a bitch.” She grabbed one of her fries and dipped it in ketchup “And how dares she touch my food?”  
Rowan chuckled and finally looked at her. And what she saw in his eyes hurt her.  
He stood “I just… I need to get out.” He was about to leave but Aelin stopped him ‘I am coming with you.”  
Rowan shook his head “I need a bit of time alone. Please.” His green eyes were sad again and she just wanted to go to An Lanntair and slap the woman. How dared she treat him like that?”  
“Okay.” She touched his face and leaned in the touch and Aelin thought it was progress. At least he was not pushing her away.  
“I’ll call you later.” He kissed her cheek “I am sorry…”  
“Go. I’ll be fine.”  
Rowan nodded and left.

Aelin finished her lunch, paid Maeve and left the cafe with renewed purpose. She marched to An Lanntair.  
She entered the venue and walked to Lyria trying to fight the urge to punch the woman.  
“Out.” She ordered.  
Lyria looked at her confused.  
“Follow me. Outside. Now.” Her voice was a command.  
Once the two women were outside Aelin finally let go of her anger.  
“How dare you?” Her voice was full of rage “How dare you treat him like that? Do you have a heart? That man loved you. You were engaged to him. How can you be so mean?”  
“You are definitely not his type.” Lyria said with a bored expression.  
Aelin growled “What I am does not matter. What matter is how you treated him and I cannot stand that.”  
Lyria laughed “Gods, you are in love with him. You just fell for the most boring man alive.”  
Aelin’s hand clenched “he is not boring. He is a very interesting person, and he is funny.”  
Lyria’s mocking laughter reverberated in the street “Funny? Rowan funny?”   
“Maybe he was not funny because of you. Maybe you are the boring one.” Aelin spread her arms and challenged her “Maybe you are the one who is not his type. He likes them with a brain, by the way.”  
And this time she noticed a reaction in Lyria.   
“Well, if you love him so much he is all yours. I haven’t had any need of him in a long time.” Aelin was second away from inflicting some form of physical pain on the woman, but then she noticed Lyria’s expression change and a veil of softness appeared in the lines of her face “He was a good man before his injury, and I believe he still is. But after his injury he had to stop competing and something broke in him.” She looked at Aelin “I still loved him deeply at the time. The shop became his new dream. I followed and supported him for a while. He proposed and I said yes, the realised that I was in love with an old version of Rowan and I just left him.” Lyria sat on the bench in front of the community centre “He is a good man. He is sweet and caring. He is perfect for someone.” She finally confessed and Aelin could note a spark of the love she once had for him “But not for me. He became this man obsessed with family and after he proposed he started talking about the future. Our future. He wants the whole romantic deal. I didn’t and I still don’t care for all of it. He deserves to be with someone who can give him that.” Her brown eyes now bore into Aelin’s “And if you can’t give him that, don’t even start this relationship. I hurt him enough. He does not need more pain.”  
And with that she left and Aelin was stunned at the woman’s words.  
She felt like crying. She had to talk to Rowan but she had no idea where he went. A text could get her that answer but she doubted he would answer. He clearly needed time alone.  
So her steps took her down to the marina, she watched the morning ferry dock and people disembark, then with new resolution walked back to the bookshop and opened again without him. The afternoon felt wrong. Not having Rowan in the shop left her with a sense of emptiness.  
Later in the evening, Aelin was about to switch off the pc and close for the day when she noticed his screensaver. Recognition dawned on her. It was a picture of Butt of Lewis and, if her mind was not playing tricks, she had heard him once mention the fact that he loved that place.  
She had her answer.  
Quickly she closed up the shop, locked the door behind her and swiftly ran home. A gut feeling told her that Rowan was at the lighthouse.

It was half an hour later when she arrived at her destination, and when she spotted his car she knew she had been correct. But now doubt settled in her. He had clearly come to this place to stay alone and think and she did not want to intrude. But she could not remove from her mind the hurt expression she saw on him at the cafe. She had to do something. Try at least. And if he’d end shouting at her… well. She’d take that.  
She got off the car and slowly walked to him. His back to her he was sitting at the edge of the cliff and he was staring at the sea crashing against the cliffs.   
She was behind him when she heard his voice “I am okay.” He said gruffly.  
Aelin’s chest tightened. That was not the voice of a person who was okay. Quietly she sat beside him in silence. And for a while they sat side by side staring at the sea.   
He would talk when he was ready. She was not going to push him.  
“So, I opened the shop all by myself for the afternoon.”  
His head whipped to her side and she could spot a weak hint of a smile.  
“And we had a successful day. I placed a few orders for you and I think I got Miss McKinnon obsessed on a couple of series.”  
Rowan did not say anything, he just grabbed her hand and pulled her to him “Come here.”  
A moment later, Aelin was sitting between his legs, his arms wrapped around her and his chin on her shoulder.  
“I am sorry.” He whispered “It’s just…”  
Her hands were on his on her abdomen “Shh… no, it’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself.” His arms were tighter around her and she leaned into his chest.  
“I had a chat with the bitch.”  
She felt him stiffen at her admission “I gave her a piece of my mind.”  
“I have no doubt about it.”  
“Ro, what happened to you? She said you changed after the injury.”  
Rowan sighed behind her. For a moment she thought he was not going to answer. That was a far too personal question but she needed to know more in order to understand this wonderful complicated man.  
“I was good. I loved swimming.” He told her “There had been talks as well for me to compete in the qualifiers for the Olympics. I was living the dream. I was still in Glasgow and had to balance uni and a professional sport but everything was perfect.” The pain in his voice was now clear and deep “Then I got back here and I did manage to continue to train. Lyria became my girlfriend and she loved the spotlight.” He sighed again “What I told you the other day was not the complete story.” She squeezed his hand, she hadn’t told him her whole story either “I kept competing for a while and I did manage to get into the qualifiers for the Olympics. Then one day my life just crashed and all went to hell. During training in the gym I was doing weights. An idiot bumped into me. I dropped the weights suddenly and ripped muscles and tendons. I needed surgery and in a matter of days my dream of the Olympics was gone. Recovery took a very long time.”  
Aelin gasped “that bad?”  
Rowan nodded “Butterfly stroke was my specialty. It’s a complicated one and after surgery it became impossible to do it again.”  
“I tried it once. I looked like a demented whale. It was embarrassing.”  
And finally she heard Rowan chuckle. “I took it badly and for a while I was… cathartic. But Lyria still was beside me. Then the idea for the bookshop came. I had always loved books and I thought that was the way for me to follow a new dream. And you know the rest.”  
Aelin twined her fingers in his “It’s a nice dream.”  
“It is.”  
“I think Lyria always resented me for my injury. I was famous in town and she loved being stopped and having other girl jealous at her for being with me.”  
“So I assume her current boyfriend is a Hollywood star.” Rowan squeezed the hand back.  
“I doubt it, but definitely someone with money and a big job. She… likes to be spoiled, and me being a professional swimmer paid a bit more than being a lousy bookshop owner.”  
“You are not lousy.” Her head turned and searched for his eyes, to tell him how much she believed him.  
“She sounds very shallow.”  
Rowan sighed again and Aelin felt a pang of guilt for making him talk about a part of his past life that clearly still did hurt “She wasn’t always like that. She changed a while ago. Her company of friends had changed and they became a sort of bad influence.”  
The wind had started to pick up a bit but Aelin had no intention of going back home and she decided it was time to tell Rowan her complete story. Her full reasons for moving in the middle of nowhere. He had opened up to her, she owed him at least that.  
“My story is not complete either. I told you about my failed marriage, but there is another reason while I escaped.”  
Rowan kissed the top of her head “You don’t have to.”  
“Yes, I do. You told me yours and I need to tell you mine. I want us to be honest to each other.”  
He gave her a squeeze in response.  
“I told you I was a doctor. I was working in St. Mary’s Hospital which is one of the major trauma centres in London. I slaved to be able to work there. They had a limited numbers for interns and I did manage to get in. Once I was officially a doctor I started to slave to make my way up the ranks I kept working like a madwoman and did all I could to become one of the best. Then a few months ago our head of department announced he was going to retire. And I knew I was going to fight to get that job. I wanted to be the head of the cardio thoracic department. It was my dream, my goal. At the interview I thought I had the job. Two days later I get a phone call telling me that unfortunately the position had been given to another candidate.”  
Aelin breathed out to calm the rage. “I would have accepted it if they had chosen a candidate better than me. But they didn’t”  
“Let me guess. Daddy’s little boy or girl got it.”  
Aelin nodded “The son got it. This idiot who barely made it through med school got it because his dad pushed for it.”  
Aelin stood and began pacing feeling the need of release all the anger that surged in her every time she talked about that “I was in the middle on the divorce with Chaol. This was the last nail in the coffin. I kept going back to work but I hated it. So much.”  
With a swift movement Rowan stood and stopped her, placing his hands on her shoulders making sure she was facing him.  
“Then one day I saw a picture of a Scottish island and I decided that I was out of there. I took a sabbatical. Two week later I was on a plane to Glasgow. A week later I was here.” And the tears came back in full force. Rowan’s arms went around her and she sagged against him and wept until she was spent.  
“I am glad you came.” That was as much as Rowan could manage to tell her that he was madly in love with her. Baby steps, he kept telling himself. They clearly were far too hung-up on whatever happened before and they both needed time to heal, but he felt like they were finally getting there. Having Aelin in his arms was wonderful enough. He was happy to take anything that she was willing to give him just now. Even if it was just embraces, caressed or holding hands. He would wait for her.  
“Ro, when I said girlfriend before…”  
“I know, it’s fine.” And he squeezed her tighter then kissed her head.  
“I have an idea that will cheer you up hopefully.”  
She looked up at him and gave him a big smile “I am all ears.”  
“Tomorrow is Sunday and you know everything is closed on the islands and so is my shop. So, how about an adventure?”  
Her arms were around his neck in an instant “Yes!”  
“Let’s go back in the car, it’s getting cold and I’ll tell you my plan.”  
Aelin ran and Rowan laughed. And a few minutes later they were on their way back.  
“So, we are leaving the islands tomorrow. We are taking the ferry back to Ullapool. There are a couple of amazing spot that I want to show you. We need to take the ferry at 8am which means check in will be from 6am. Will you manage?”  
“Are you kidding me? I’ll be up and ready whenever you need me to.”  
Rowan’s hand went on hers and smiled her back “Good.”  
Once back in town Rowan drove Aelin home, feeling overprotective and all. She got off the car and he followed her in front of the house.  
“I’ll come and pick you up at six, is it okay?”  
“Perfect.”  
“Wear something comfortable but also layers and a windproof jacket. The forecast for tomorrow is really good, but it’s Scotland.”  
Aelin nodded.  
He brushed his hand gently against hers “I’ll se you tomorrow.”  
Aelin kissed his cheek “Tomorrow then.”

Once she was in the house she squealed in delight and texted Lysandra with an update.  
She was giddy.  
And finally happy.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all,
> 
> Chapter 11 is here.  
> So far this is my favourite. Rowan and Aelin go on the adventure he promised her and... well... there is fluff. Almost 5k words of fluff.
> 
> Aelin get to listen to Rowan's favourite groups.  
> One of them is called Peat and Diesel.  
> The guys are from Stornoway and I LOVE them.  
> Their music is super original and fun.  
> In this youtube video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZM6qAiZZKA](url) you have an introduction of them. Listen to their accents and you have an idea how people on the Western Isles talk and the guy with the red jumper (Innes) has the kind of accent that Rowan has in the story.  
> 3 of my favourite songs:  
> Western Isles: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo2zuDxqf6A](url) This video is hilarious and the guy go around Stornoway.  
> My Islands: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoLBnk05ris&t=89s](url)  
> Stornoway: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efx_4YxLFRc](url)
> 
> Peat and Diesel have been a constant soundtrack while writing this fic.
> 
> The second group are Runrig. Alas they are now retired but they have been playing for decades and they are the first Scottish group I have discovered once I moved to Scotland. I have seen them live and they were incredible. They sing in both English and Gaelic.
> 
> Happy reading and for once may the fluff be with you <3

At 6am next morning, Aelin was in front of her house with her backpack strapped on her shoulders and all ready to go. The forecast for the day was meant to be wonderful with really high temperatures for Scotland. A heat wave, the meteorologists had announced. She was wearing shorts and a nice polo shirt and a baseball cap with a Saltire on that she bought at the tourist office. She probably looked ridiculous but she did not care.  
A text from Rowan came, announcing that he was on his way and five minutes later his car finally arrived.  
“Took you long enough.” Aelin commented while jumping in the car.  
“I was my aunt’s place to gather food. And knowing you, it had to be a lot.”  
Aelin punched his arm and he laughed in response.  
Once at the terminal they parked at the front and they both went inside the terminal to buy the tickets. Aelin was about to go ahead and order them but Rowan blocked her “my treat.” He said.  
With tickets in hands they returned to the car and joined the queue of vehicles ready to check-in and board.  
“This is so exciting.”  
“Only a tourist like you would find the embarkation process exciting.” He joked and flipped her hat with his hand, making it fly.  
“And this tourist here is going to get a fridge magnet as well.” She replied while putting her baseball hat back on in defiance.  
Around 7.30 it was finally time to get on board. After they left the car on the car deck they climbed back on the passenger deck and Aelin dragged Rowan outside.  
“No way I am staying cooped up.”  
“It’s going to be cold.” He told her zipping up her jacket in a very protective manner.  
“I spent the entire journey here on the deck. And it was a bit cooler than now. You point is not valid.”  
He raised his hand in defeat “It’s your freezing ass.” He removed his windbreaker and Aelin noticed that her was wearing the university of Glasgow hoodie that she had stolen from him.  
“That’s my hoodie.” She protested.  
“You asked me to make sure it smell like me again. I am just following procedure.”  
She snuggled to him and inhaled his scent “A couple of more days, then it’s mine again?”  
Rowan laughed “Fine.”  
The ferry finally started to move and Aelin turned to the aft side of the boat and very dramatically she started waving at the people at the pier. Rowan followed her. He hadn’t been this excited by a trip in ages. And it was all thanks to her.  
Aelin leaned against the handrail, her face half turned and her hair flowing freely and in that instant Rowan took his camera out and snapped some picture of her.  
“Someone had a fancy camera.” She took a step to him to have a look at the picture he had just taken and was impressed. They were super good.  
“I am just the modern brat who uses her phone.” And she snapped a picture of him smiling.  
“Yes! I got a good one.” She was planning to take a lot of pictures of Rowan. Lysandra had asked her for some proof that this mysterious man existed and she was going to show her friend.  
An hour and a half later land was in sight again and they got ready to disembark and Aelin could not contain her excitement and not a long later they were on the road again.  
Rowan had attached his mp3 player to the car stereo and started playing some music.  
“This band is called Peat and Diesel, they are from Stornoway and they are one of my favourite groups.  
I met them once and they are hilarious and very down to earth and their music is brilliant if you are from there, you can relate.”  
Aelin listened to the tune and had to admit the songs were great. She started to dance in the car and Rowan laughed.  
“They are awesome.”  
“They are playing this year at HebCelt I have tickets for their concert…” he offered.  
“I am coming.” Then she stopped herself “If you want me, of course.”  
“I’ll think about it.” And he gave her a huge grin.  
“This song is called Stornoway….” He told her.  
“I love their style they add the accordion added to rock music. This is brilliant stuff.”  
“Good,” and his hand went on her knee.  
They drove for about five minutes, just enough to get out of the town and Rowan pulled over. Aelin was speechless the landscape around her was of barren mountains and in front of her lay this amazing beach. She got off the car and ran out and sat on the bench on the side of the road. The silence around her was incredible. Rowan was at her side a minute later.  
“This is Ardmair beach.” The he took her arm and pointed ahead “Those over there are called Summer Islands. You can take boat trips to visit them.”  
Aelin leaned against this shoulder and inhaled his scent mixed with the one of the sea. For ten minutes they sat in silence staring at the sea and listening to the seagulls.  
“Come on… we still have a bit to drive.”  
While on the road Aelin’s phone rang and was happy to see it was Lysandra.  
“Hi darling.”  
“Hi babe, quick call because I don’t have much time. Aedion and I have a surprise.” Exclaimed the woman at the other end.  
“Lys, please don’t tell you are pregnant already.”  
Lysandra laughed “No, Aedion and I have taken holidays.”  
Aelin grinned “So you are phoning me to tell me that you and mister hot hands are taking two weeks off to have crazy sex? Gee stop bragging.” She turned her head and noticed that Rowan pretended not to listen. In response she put a hand on his leg and his breath hitched at the contact.  
“No. We re coming to see you. We want to see all those amazing places.”  
Aelin screamed and almost gave a heart attack to the man at her side.  
“Ae, I have two minutes. We are coming up soon. I will text you all the details but we are staying for two weeks.”  
“Good text me everything and we’ll get some adventures organised.”  
Lysandra squealed on her side of the phone and then hang up to go and have fun in surgery.  
Aelin looked at Rowan “Lysandra and her boyfriend are coming up for two weeks.”  
“Given your screams I guessed it was something like that.”  
She squeezed his leg again and went back to admiring the landscape being amazed at every single corner.  
An half an hour had passed when Rowan stopped the car again and parked in a small car park.  
Aelin’s mouth fell open when she noticed the ruins of the castle on the loch.  
“That is Ardvreck castle.” He told her, getting off the car.  
Aelin followed and took the hand he offered.  
“When will this country stop to surprise me?”  
“Never.” Admitted Rowan “and this part of Scotland is one of the most stunning and the northern we get the wilder and unspoiled it gets.”  
“Ro, this is incredible.” She left his hand and started walking to the ruins.  
For a moment he just stared at her in admiration. Stared at her legs and the rest of the ensemble. Lyria had called her a stick, but Rowan disagreed. Aelin had curves and he was dying to get his hands on every single one of them.  
She turned around and called him and he woke from his revelry.  
Alas, they did not have the place to themselves and a group of tourists was walking around the ruins as well.  
“What do you think?” He asked joining her.  
“I want to climb on it.”  
“Well, you can’t.”  
Aelin grumbled something and Rowan let her explore the site. Five minutes later he noticed her talking happily with the group of German tourists. He was jealous of the simplicity with which she could talk to people.  
When she came back to him she had a smug smiled painted on her face “what did you do?” Asked Rowan expecting the worst.  
“One of the lady was asking about books. They are coming to Stornoway next week so I told her about our shop.”  
_Our_. She probably didn’t even notice the pronoun she used but Rowan felt a deep sense of pride and joy and his traitor mind reminded him that Lyria never called it like that. It was always your shop and when they had fights she would add a damned for emphasis.  
“We don’t have books in German.” He whispered.  
“Oh no, she is looking for books in English to practice.” Aelin took his hand “thank you for taking me here.”  
“The adventure is nor over yet.” He started walking. They crossed to road and he started to walk on the grass and followed the small river. They walked for a bit and then Aelin spotted some small waterfalls. The land was on different levels and the path of the river was broken, thus creating a small series of waterfalls.  
Rowan sat down on a rock and began opening his backpack.  
“Lunch time.”  
Aelin was at his side in seconds.  
He had made sandwiches for both. That morning he had woken up early and he had prepared a lunch for both. “It’s not a lot but we’ll eat when we get to Lochinver. There is a place where they make the most amazing savoury pies.”  
“You really know how to woo a woman.” She grabbed the sandwich he passed her and sat down in silence and stared at the water flowing down from the mountains.  
“Do I get to meet Lysandra?”  
Aelin munched faster and nodded “She will kill me if she doesn’t get to meet you.”  
Once done eating Rowan stood and offered her his hand “Come, let’s go. We can a have a long break after we arrive at our final destination. And we need to stop for pies too.”  
In a second Aelin was up and they walked back to the car.  
It took them fifteen minutes drive to reach their next stop and Aelin was giddy. Rowan had put more music on and she had discovered another of his favourite groups called Runrig and she fell in love with them. They also sang in Gaelic. She made a mental note to get all this groups from him once back home.  
_Home._ Because that’s where she was. And it felt right.  
A few houses and the hint of a village appeared out of the window and Aelin guessed they were arrived.  
Rowan pulled into the petrol station “Sorry. My car needs to eat as well.” And he gave a wonderful smile. He was always smiling to her recently and she wished he could do it all the time because it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.  
Five minutes later they moved to the car park next to the petrol station and Rowan again offered his hand to her.  
The Larder was the name of the bistro they were going to. They went inside and sat at a table.  
“This one is on me. In the end we didn’t finish the meal after winning the bet, so that’s me now buying you the meal I owed you.”  
“Ro, you don’t have to.”  
He put a hand on hers and squeezed gently “I know, but I want to.”  
They were eating their meals when Rowan broke the silence “The local high school asked me to join them on a part time basis as swimming instructor.”  
Aelin’s hand stopped half way to her mouth and looked at him “No way.”  
He nodded and she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes.  
“How do you feel about it?”  
His hand deposited his fork on the plate and he leaned back on the chair sighing heavily “Torn.” A hand ran through his hair “I want to. I miss it so much. But I don’t know if I can.”  
Aelin grabbed her chair and moved closer to him and grabbed his hand in hers “Give it a go. Tell them you want to do a trial lesson. See how it goes. How you feel. Then decide.”  
“It would be for just two mornings a week, and the extra money is a plus.” He gave her a faint smile.  
“And I will look after the bookshop, so don’t worry about not being able to open. If you trust me, of course.”  
His face leaned closer and for a brief moment the space between them was very minimal.  
“I trust you.”  
Her hand all of a sudden had a life on its own and she found it going straight for his head and ran it through his hair. At the touch he closed his eyes and hummed very lightly.  
A second later Aelin retracted her hand and blushed furiously but he did not seem mad at the gesture. Quite the opposite, he had a very satisfied grin on his face.  
She was probably beetroot red just now, but it felt so good.  
They left the bistro and walked a bit along the promenade in the village, but she was dying to see the next stop and Rowan noticed her urgency.  
“Fine, fine we’ll go.”  
She ran back to their car while Rowan took his time walking just to annoy her.  
“You are such a grandpa.”  
Fifteen minutes later they stopped in car park and once out of the car she could spot a beach in the very distance and excitement cursed through her. She grabbed her stuff and was all ready to go while Rowan was doing his best to move so slow that a sloth could beat him to it.  
“Whitethorn!” She barked through gritted teeth.  
“Such an impatient woman.” He finally locked the car, picked his backpack from the ground and joined her.  
“I can see a beach. I have no patience.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him.  
Once they finally reached the sand, Aelin stood transfixed. In front of her opened a bay with sands so white it hurt her eyes and with the waters of a turquoise that could not be real. She was speechless. Also the beach was empty and they were the only two there and that was a bonus.  
“Welcome to Achmelvich beach.”  
She finally managed to move, dropped her backpack, removed her shoes and ran to the water.  
Rowan grabbed her stuff and moved it closer. He lay down a towel and sat down watching her play in the water with the unbridled joy of a kid. She was carefree and she was beautiful.  
“This is amazing.” She shouted at him while walking the length of the beach. Ten minutes later she was on her way back with a smile that melted his heart.  
“I just wish the water was not so cold because I’d die to have a swim in those waters.”  
Rowan patted the towel beside him. Aelin sat and then lay down with her head on his thighs and looked up at him and wondered if she had gone too far but he didn’t seem to fussed. They had been getting much closer but she still wasn’t sure how far she could go with her affections. She almost had a heart attack in the bistro when she brushed her hand in his hair.  
“Ro…”  
“Hm?” His voice sounded peaceful and she looked up and noted that his eyes were closed and he had a peaceful smile on his face.  
“Where do we stand?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You and I. What is this?”  
Rowan sighed. He had been asking himself the same question for a few days now. There was definitely something there. Something more than friendship, but he could not define what it was exactly.  
“Are we friends? More? A couple? Because we have been behaving like one.”  
His hand brushed her hair and traced the line of her forehead “I don’t know, Fireheart.”  
She sighed and felt the same frustration as him.  
“You still have Elias. You two are still going out.”  
“We are not…” she paused “I mean, we are not a couple. And I need to talk to him.” She lifted her hand and with the back of it she brushed his cheek. “Why don’t we take it slowly. See how it goes, figure out our feelings and not put a label on it just yet?”  
He looked down at her. He could do that and it was probably the best way to go. Not rush things for once. Take their time. “But can I still do this?” And his hand traced her arms then reached her neck. His thumb continued his journey to her lips and brushed them gently while the hand cupped her cheek. Then he bent over and placed the chastest kiss in history on her lips and Aelin’s heart raced madly in her chest. It was brief and barely a kiss but it sent shivers all down her spine and she wanted more but she didn’t press.  
The hand left her cheek and moved down again tracing the length of her arm, until his fingers twined in hers “I like doing this.”  
“We can just be Aelin and Rowan for now. Status undecided.” And he heard her chuckle.  
Aelin nodded  
“A Buzzard and his Fireheart. What do you think? Way more epic.” She offered as an alternative.  
He brought her hand to his lips while still in his and kissed it “I love it very,” a kiss “very,” another one “much.”  
Aelin giggled and then her stare turned serious again “I am not going back to London.” And he stared at her almost understanding the weight of her admission. A selfish part of him had been hoping for that. Another reason why he didn’t want to make things official with her. He could not bear the idea of getting into a relationship and having to let her go back to her old life. And the idea of a long distance relationship was out of the question.  
“I feel like I don’t belong there anymore.” She continued and he let her “Not when I am currently living in a corner of paradise, where life seem to have slow down to a point that on the islands everything is closed on a Sunday. Where there so much nature around me and I feel like a can breath again. After a month I crave all of this desperately and the idea of going back to my old frenetic life… I don’t think I can do it anymore.” She closed her eyes and a pained expression was on her face “I can’t go back to all that. And definitely not to my old job.” Another deep breath “I have been looking for jobs here, at the hospital, but there is nothing at the moment.”  
“Aelin, that’s great.” He caressed her head “Something will come up. There is always a shortage of doctors on the islands.”  
“Will you be mad at me if I leave the bookshop?”  
Rowan gave her a huge smile “No. You go and follow your dream. If a job comes up you go for it.” And he meant it. Lyria had left him because she was bored and the job was only a way for her to make some money. Aelin was different, she would be going back to her dream job. And the fact that she asked meant she cared.  
“I can come and help from time to time, you know? Your display need my mastery touch.”  
Rowan erupted in laughter “My displays were doing okay before you arrived.”  
“Aye, but now they are doing great.” She sat up in front of him and resisted the urge to kiss her, more deeply this time.  
He shook the thought away and stood “Come, there is another thing I want to show you.”  
They grabbed their stuff and Rowan began walking on the rocky formation until they reached what looked like a small fortified construction.  
“That’s a weird building.”  
“That’s Hermit’s castle. Europe’s smallest castle.” He helped her navigate safely the rocky formation.  
“Gee, that is small.” He came behind her and his arms went around her waist “it’s quite a fun place and the views are incredible.” He grabbed her hand and pointed at the mountains at the horizon “that peak over there is called Suilven.”  
Aelin turned to face him “Can we go inside this castle?”  
“I knew you were going to ask it.” He took her hand and guided her back to the entrance “Be careful, it can be slippery.”  
She followed him into the entrance and noticed that he almost had to bend over to get access and laughed at him.  
“The joys of being short.” She mocked him.  
They spent a bit of time exploring the ruins “This is one of the weirdest places I have ever been to.”  
Once they were out Aelin sat on the cliffside and enjoyed the view. Rowan towered over her and was taking pictures, mostly of her when she was not looking in his direction. When her expression was natural.  
He sat beside her “You have three options now: one, we go to Clachtoll beach nearby, a bit smaller but still super lovely. Option two we get back into the car and we drive to a lighthouse, three we do both but we can’t linger too long because we have to drive all the way back to Ullapool for our ferry back home.”  
“I’ll take three.”  
“Good. So, get your arse of this rock and let’s go.”  
She jumped on her feet and followed him back to the car.  
Five minutes later they had reached their next destination and she was glad Rowan was the one driving. The roads were far too small for her and although she was getting used to it, she was still very apprehensive. He, on the other hand drove with the experience of someone who had driven along those small roads all his adult life.  
They took a nice stroll on the beach and Aelin again had to walk in the water and Rowan followed her.  
“We should come back to this part of Scotland… for… a longer vacation.”  
His eyes bulged in surprise and his heart fluttered. She was already thinking longterm and he realised that probably they were more involved than either of them had the guts to admit. Truth was… he had been thinking about something like that all day. Having a proper holiday with her and show her the north west of Scotland. Show her some of his favourite spots.  
“If you are deemed worthy of having me as a tour guide.” He joked and with his foot he splashed her on the legs and as revenge she did the same.  
“Such a mean old man.”  
“And you are a brat.”  
_But you are my brat._  
“Come on menace, out of the water. I want to go to the lighthouse and then on our way back.”  
“Yes, sir. At your orders, sir.” She gave him a military salute and in her response he pushed her out of the water .  
“You will be the death of me.” And shook his head on his way back to the car.  
Twenty minutes later they reached the lighthouse and its position was just as dramatic as the one at the Butt of Lewis, with the Minch right in front of her. The wind had picked up and it was cold again.  
As if on cue Rowan arrived with her jacket in his hands “Put this on,” he pulled the jacket around her and zipped it up “Don’t get sick because I am not playing nurse with you.” And he grinned at those words.  
_Mean_ her lips mouthed to him while he worked on the zip and for a second he stared at those lips and thought about the chaste kiss he had given her on the beach. He had a different idea altogether about what he would do to them.  
They reached the edge, and Rowan pulled her against his chest “Be careful, it’s quite a drop and the wind is savage. Stay away from the edge.”  
“You don’t need a jacket?”  
“I am used to this, I am fine.” He hugged her tighter and she enjoyed the heat emanating from his body.  
“See over there? That thin stretch of land?” He pointed at the horizon. The wind had cleared the sky so much that she could see land on the other side of the Minch.  
“That’s home.”  
At that word she put her hand on his and squeezed.  
She was enjoying the view but when she started shivering Rowan pulled her to the car “It’s cold. Plus we have an hour and a half drive back to Ullapool and I want to be there in good time for the ferry.”  
The drive back felt like it took longer than on the way out, probably because she knew the adventure was almost over and she wanted to spend even more time with him exploring.  
They made it back to Ullapool with a few hours to spare and Rowan showed her around the town and he took her to the town’s bookshop and they both ended up buying some books, like the two book addicts they were. Then Rowan took her for a coffee when he noticed her shivering and bought her a slice of chocolate cake.  
An hour later they were back in the car and in line to get on the ferry.  
“I really like these Peat and Diesel guys.” She commented while listening to his music. “They make me want to dance.”  
Rowan in response extended his arm and caressed her head and she almost purred.  
Once on the boat they stayed inside. The weather had turned all of a sudden and the wind had become quite bad and it was far too cold to be on the deck and Rowan convinced Aelin to take a seat and stay inside.  
He took a book out while Aelin leaned against his shoulder and almost instantly fell asleep.  
An arm went around her shoulder and pulled her closer to a more comfortable position and relished in the beauty of her body against his.  
The book forgotten, he now stared at her and her face was one of pure bliss. His thumb very gently stroked her cheek and then turned his neck and kissed the top the her head and lingered there for a moment inhaling her wonderful scent.  
She had been so cold that she had reclaimed _her_ hoodie back and he was more than happy to oblige. He was tired of restraining himself. He realised sometimes that day that he was done pretending he did not feel anything for her. He wanted her. Badly. But until she had sorted her situation with Elias he could not do anything. And a pang of jealousy surged through him.  
He tried to read one more time but his mind could not concentrate, so he closed the book and decided to take a nap as well.

“Aelin,” he shook her gently as soon as the boat had started the docking procedure “we are almost home.”  
“Hm?” Then Aelin looked outside the porthole and noticed the familiar image of Stornoway’s marina. “Shit, did I sleep the whole time?”  
“We both did.” Rowan stood and gathered their stuff “Let’s go.”  
Rowan drove her home. It was past 9pm by the time they got back but it was so bright it was day but she felt exhausted. She had the most amazing day with him.  
“Rest, and I will see you tomorrow.”  
She brushed his hand and wished him a good night.  
Once back in the house she collapsed on the sofa exhausted. She finally remembered her mobile and when she looked at the screen she noticed two missed calls from Elias and a few text from him. It was Sunday for him as well and he was exploring the city and he had sent her some picture of places he had been and the complained that he missed her and that adventures without her were boring.  
Then she read the last message and her heart sank. He was coming back in a few days in the afternoon and he had invited her to dinner.

She threw the mobile on the sofa and went for a shower.  
And the more she thought the more she could not find a way to leat him down without hurting him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies,
> 
> here we are with chapter 12.  
> This should be, according to my plans, the last of the very angsty chapters. Now things should start to head towards fluff.  
> I kinda plotted the ideas for all chapters and in a moment of inspiration I wrote a moment with plenty of fluff.  
> They are getting there.  
> Also, please don't hate Elias. He loves her. He really does. They are both just very impulsive.
> 
> At the very beginning Rowan says "mo chridhe" well, I am not going to give you a translation this time. Aelin will discover its meaning in the next chapter. You just have to sit tight a bit longer.

Days rolled over quickly and Aelin’s d-day had eventually arrived. It was the day she was meant to meet with Elias. She had been nervous and in a bad mood since she had received the message and didn’t get any closer to figuring out a way to let the man down gently.  
So that morning she had woken up as usual, scoffed the remnants of the chocolate cake she had bought from Maeve’s and tried to instil in herself the idea that everything will be okay.  
Rowan had given her again the morning off and she was quite happy since she had to go and get herself a laptop. She was quite serious in her goal of finding a job as a doctor on the islands and she definitely needed her own computer.  
Elias had kindly recommended her a place in town and she decided she could go on foot. The day was going to be nice again and she craved the fresh air. With the address in her hands she was surprised that she found it without the need of the GPS on her phone and happiness took her at the realisation that she was getting very familiar with the town. A few more years, she told her herself, and I will be a local.  
Elias had been amazing as his usual and had given her some info on what to look for in a laptop and she was grateful for his help and felt horrible at the idea of how much pain she was going to cause him.  
Half an hour later she had a box under her arm and she was on her way to the bookshop.  
She missed Rowan.  
“Madainn mhath!” She greeted him with a huge smile, her mood suddenly improving at the sight of him.  
That day he was wearing a green hoodie that almost matched his eyes and her heart skipped a beat.  
“Madainn mhath, _mo chridhe._ ”  
Aelin walked to him and dumped her box on the floor “What was the last part?”  
Rowan’s face turned red at the realisation that he had spoken too much “It means my menace.”  
He lied and she knew it. She was still learning Gaelic, but she had a feeling he had used a term of endearment. It was the loving tone and the hint of a smile that betrayed him.  
She just had to try and figure out the meaning on her own. Problem was she had no idea how to write down the word. In her basic lessons of Gaelic from Rowan she had soon realised that often Gaelic would pronounce far less letters than the ones written down and some sounds were not written the way she thought.  
“Sure, keep your secrets.” Gently she poked him on the shoulder. A totally pointless gesture. Given his muscles he probably didn’t even feel her.  
“What do you have there?” He pointed at the box.  
“I bought a laptop. You know… for work stuff…” grabbing her belongings she went for his office where she got ready for another day.  
Nervousness knotted her stomach. After the day had spent gallivanting around a part of Scotland she felt as if the energy between them had shifted again and she had no idea how to address it.  
“I phoned back the school and I told them that I will give it a try.” He said calmly while typing away on the keyboard.  
Aelin stared at him amazed “Ro, it’s wonderful.” And she meant it.  
He nodded timidly.  
“You don’t seem convinced.” She moved a step closer and her hand landed on his arm and the tightness in her chest loosened a bit when he did not shy away from that contact.  
He shook his head “I am okay. I really like the idea. It’s just the whole going back to a swimming pool without competing it feels alien.”  
“I am freaking out about the idea of going back to work in an hospital.” she confessed knowing exactly where he was coming from. The idea of being a doctor again was wonderful but a part of her was terrified at the idea that what happened in London might have broken her completely.  
He looked at her in understanding.  
“When it happens, you will be incredible.” He finally looked at her and she noticed the sincerity of his words in his eyes.  
“Sure, Buzzard, but for now I want to redo the whole fantasy section. It’s bugging me and we need a new display.” And she crossed her arms at her chest “You finish that paperwork. I am on a mission.” She added cracking her hands and marching to her favourite corner of the bookshop.  
Rowan laughed and kissed her head “Go, have fun.” In response she gave him a grin.  
Ten minutes later all the books were on the floor, the shelves in the Fantasy section were empty and Aelin was sitting down on the floor reading a book.  
“You are supposed to organise them and put them back, not read them.” Rowan admonished her from the counter.  
“Shhh… I am in the zone.”  
“No you are in the way.” And with his head he pointed at a couple of customers.  
“I am sorry,” she apologised jumping back on her feet “I am redoing this section. If you need any help, let me know, please.”  
“We were looking for the fiction section.”  
Aelin walked them to the correct area “If you need any recommendations, Rowan is your man.” The couple thanked them and she went back to her job. She picked up the book she was reading and gave it to Rowan, “set it aside. I am buying it later.”  
“You are just as bad as me.”  
“That’s why you love me.”  
_Shit._  
“I meany you love working with me.” She corrected herself but the damage was done. So far, their plan of taking it slow did not include using the l-word. Yet.  
“Who told you I love working with you? Look at the mess you make of my poor books.” He pretended to be stern but she noticed the light in his eyes and the very slight uptick on the right side of his lips. He was trying not to laugh. “I should really start calling you menace instead of Fireheart.”  
Aelin stuck her tongue out and went back to work.  
It took her a few hours but the shelves were now more to her liking and she took a step back to admire her work.  
Rowan joined her to have a look at her project.  
“Right here in the centre at eye level I placed the book of the month. The two red bars at its side bring it out to attention and the plastic holder underneath has a message that says something about the book and entices the potential reader.” She explained to him “we should have more around the shop. More book recommendations.” Then she took a photo with her mobile “And this will be our official social media post.  
“I love it.”  
“And I am amazing.”  
He laughed “you are amazing.” His arms went around her waist. The two customer had paid and left and they were alone so he could let himself go with a bit of PDA.  
She stared up at him and his heart began racing and in that exact moment she decided to lean against his chest and hoped she could not hear his heart pumping hard “I love your hoodie.”  
“Well, you can’t have this one. Buy your own one.”  
She caressed his pecs and felt his muscles underneath “But if I buy my own one than it won’t smell like you.”  
Rowan’s hand went onto hers “You buy one, then I will wear it so it smells like me. How does it sound?”  
“Pinky promise?”she lifted her hand with her pinky extended.  
“What are you? Five?”  
She looked at him with puppy eyes and he rolled his in acceptance.  
“Fine.” He yielded. “Pinky promise.”  
He was doomed. He was so madly in love with her that he would even swear a pinky promise just to see her give him the smile that would melt his heart.  
“Ro?”  
He looked down to her while never breaking their embrace.  
“You know I have dinner with Elias tonight.”  
Rowan’s body went rigid. She had mentioned that. She had explained to him why she had to do it and although he had supported her, he had openly admitted to her that he was jealous. He wanted her to dump the guy and screw his feeling, but that was not what Aelin wanted. And doing that would make her miserable and that’s the last thing he wanted.  
“I remember.” That’s all he could muster.  
“And you are mad at me.”  
“I am not. I told you.”  
She pulled away from him and he missed the contact with her body.  
“I need to do this, okay? You know I have to do this if we want to… well… whatever is the next step in our relationship.”  
She sounded almost hurt and it broke his heart.  
“Aelin, I know. And I am not mad.” He pulled her to him again “I am just being selfish and a lot jealous.”  
“I don’t love him, Ro.”  
_I love you, you idiot._  
“But I owe him. He has always been nice to me and he deserves the truth.”  
“I know.” He kissed her temple “I know.”  
They pulled apart as soon as they heard a customer enter the shop.  
The rest of the afternoon continued with them adding suggestions around the shop and Rowan beginning to post confidently on the shop’s Facebook page about all the books of the months they had chosen. Aelin had told him they already had five followers, but he had no idea what she was talking about, he just trusted her.  
“Go home.” He had told her later on that evening “You need to get ready.”  
“I can stay.” But he shook his head.  
“We are closing in an hour anyway. I will be okay.”  
She kissed his cheek “I will see you tomorrow.”  
He bushed her hand in response “I trust you.”  
She nodded, collected all of her stuff and left.

Aelin got home from the shop a bit early so she could have the time to take a shower and get properly dressed.  
She pulled off Rowan’s hoodie and stopped thinking about his expression when she reminded him that she was going out with Elias. He was aware that she wanted to let the man down gently and Rowan in the end understood. _I trust you_ he had told her before letting her go.  
Aelin had been grateful for that week that Elias had been away because she had the chance to analyse her feeling, her growing feelings for Rowan. They had the best time together and she longed for the moment she would stop feeling like she was cheating on Elias every time she touched Rowan. She needed closure, but she also had to do it in a way not to break the man’s heart.  
At 7pm Elias rang the bell to her house and when she opened the door he was standing in front of her. He had a pair of jeans on, a shirt and a blue jumper on top of it, looking neat and very charming. But the pang of attraction she had felt at the beginning was not there anymore.  
She, had opted for a smart casual attire as well, not wanting to dress up too much and give the wrong idea.  
“Hi you.” His expression lit up with one of his bright and dazzling smile while his arm went around her waist pulling her close for a quick kiss that she allowed. “I hope you like seafood.”  
Aelin nodded scared about what emotions her voice would betray.  
“Then let’s go.”  
Once outside she noticed his car was not around.  
“We are walking,” he said when he noticed her looking for the vehicle. His hand was extended in front of him and she took it very reluctantly.  
“How…” she stumbled on her words “How was Glasgow.”  
“I love the city, but work was so boring but I had to do it. I spent the week in never-ending meetings. And missed you of course.” He squeezed the hand. “How was yours?”  
Shit.  
“Fine, I have been working at the bookshop and on Saturday and Sunday I was out exploring.”  
“Have you been somewhere nice?” Lie. Lie, her brain kept telling her.  
“On Sunday I went across the water to Ullapool and drove around a bit. I was reading my guide on Saturday evening and when it seemed doable I just went for it.” And she hoped he believed her.  
“I wish I could have come with you, I know the area very well.” So does Rowan.  
Ten minutes later they reached the restaurant: the Harbour kitchen, apparently a great place for seafood freshly caught. Or at least that was what the locals said.  
Elias had reserved a table and when it was time to sit down he was a proper gentleman and pulled the chair out for her “M’lady…”  
He sat down as well and the waiter brought the menu while Elias ordered a bottle of wine.  
“You drink, don’t you?”  
Aelin nodded. She looked at the menu and the food sounded amazing.  
‘This is one of my favourite places, the food here is great.” She could see the joy in him.  
She kept her gaze on the menu, using the excuse she could not make up her mind.  
They were silent for a moment and she welcome the respite. How was she supposed to break up with him? Did she just tell him whatever there was between it was over? That she loved Rowan? She almost growled. She hadn’t been able to speak to Lysandra and now she had no idea on how to do it properly.  
“Aelin?”  
She looked up and noticed that the waiter was there at her side.  
Apologising, she placed her order and Elias extended his arm and placed his hand on hers on the table and she almost flinched.  
“How is the bookshop?” He asked and she noticed that it costed him to show interest in something he had clearly admitted to be against.  
“Busy. I have set up Rowan with a Facebook page and Instagram fro the shop and we are working on online ordering. Plus, tourist season has started, so nice and busy.” Her tone was flat and he noticed it.  
“You seem pretty invested in that shop.”and there it was, his hate for the choice she had made of working there instead of going back to her old job. A waste he had called it.  
“Just helping a friend.” And she looked outside the window ignoring his gaze. Ignoring the pain his words were causing.  
“Sounds like is not a good business manager if he needs a doctor to help him.” Aelin grabbed her glass and took a sip of the wine to try and hide her gritted teeth. What happened to the nice guy she met on the beach? Jealousy, her brain told her.  
“He just doesn’t use Facebook. Some people don’t feel the need to be on social media and there is nothing wrong with it.” She might have uttered those words with a bit more venom than intended.  
At her sharp tone his hand clench a little in annoyance and he was about to add another snarky remark when their food arrived and she thanked that now she had an excuse to stay in silence at least for a while.  
This was not going well, but he was clearly insulting Rowan and his job and she could not allow that.  
“Are you enjoying the food?” He added after five minutes of neither of them uttering a word. His tone had lost the loving edge it had when they first arrived.  
“Yeah, it’s nice.” Her response was almost devoid of all emotions.  
‘What?” He asked when he noticed her reaction “Are you mad at me because I insulted you book buddy?”  
Aelin grabbed the glass and almost threw it in his face and stormed out of the restaurant but she could not cause a scene. So she breathed in and counted till 10 “Just tired.”  
“I have been looking forward to see you for days. I was not expecting this.” He whispered through gritted teeth.  
“I am sorry I forgot my red carpet and the roses, your highness, I am ready for my ten lashes.” And the fire-bitch queen, as Chaol used to call her, was back in full swing. Good job, Aelin. She hated the words as soon as they left her mouth. But the damage was done and once again she was going to pay for her inability to filter her thoughts before talking.  
She had not meant to fight with him, but apparently fate had other plans in mind for her. She was so tired of fighting.  
“You are not yourself tonight. Is it because of him?” Elias was jealous, that was blatantly clear. She might have been impulsive, but he had been downright arrogant.  
“I told you I am tired.” And she slammed her fork on the plate a bit too hard.  
“Well, take a day off. I am sure book boy can work on his own for a day.”  
Aelin stood and grabbed her bag.”You know what?” She whispered trying not to cause a scene. “If you can’t talk about Rowan without insulting him, we are done here.”  
She was about to leave when he grabbed her wrist but she pulled free and left the restaurant.

Elias went to pay quickly and ran after her “Aelin.” He shouted a few times but she ignored him.  
Eventually he caught up and gently grabbed her writs “Aelin…” his tone suddenly much more gentle than what had been in the restaurant. He had behaved horribly. All he wanted was a nice night with her. However, he could not forget that he had spent a whole week agonising over the fact that she was alone in the shop with Rowan and it drove him mad because, yes, he was so damn jealous.  
“I am so sorry.”  
When she turned Elias noticed she was in tears and his heart sank “Elias this is not working.” She blurted out while sobbing “Whatever this is… I can’t”  
“I love working at the bookshop and until I feel ready to be a doctor again that is what I will do. And I am tired of listening to you insulting the shop and Rowan.” He was not ready for the look full of hurt in her eyes. He wanted to see her smile and nothing more. “This is not working, Elias. We are not working and I am sick and tired of being in pain.”  
He stared at her and for a while he was immobile as if stunned by her words.  
“You love him, don’t you?” Elias’ voice was almost a whisper but she heard him nonetheless. In frustration his hands ran through his hair and he groaned “I have been such a stupid fool not to notice.”  
In the meantime, Aelin had taken a seat on one of the benches at the marina while Elias was not towering in front of her and she kept avoiding his gaze like the coward she felt.  
“That’s why you almost ignored me while I was away. And why your texts were cold all of a sudden.”  
Aelin didn’t answer and kept staring at the small fishing boats moored at the pier, while tears kept flowing down her cheeks “I had to sort out my feelings.”  
“Clearly not your feelings for me.”  
She clenched her fingers “Life happens,” her tone almost a growl.  
“No, annoying bookseller happened. You were fine until you started working there.” His anger back in his words.  
She finally found the strength to stand and face him “This is between me and you. Damn it, Elias we were not together, we were still trying to figure out things. It’s my feelings okay? I am the one who fell in love with him, so leave Rowan out of this.” She shouted, now clenching both hands in fists “I am the one who is so messed up and could not make up her bloody mind. Blame me for this.” Suddenly her back was at him again “This is not how it was meant to go down.” She leaned against the wall of the pier.  
She turned and he was in front of her. In a swift movement he kissed her “tell me you don’t feel anything. Have the guts to tell me that the time we spent together meant nothing. Be truthful, damn it. I deserve it.”  
Her hand went in front of her mouth to stifle the sob rippling through her “I loved the time I spent with you.” She finally looked at him and the pain she saw in his eyes almost broke her “But my feelings for Rowan developed before the ones I had for you had time to form.” It was a pathetic excuse but it was all she could give him just now. She started shaking and he offered her his jacket.  
“You are cold,” his voice soft again.  
“Don’t be nice to me. I don’t deserve it.” She refused the jacket.  
“Aelin… I am sorry for what I said.” He moved a step closer, he could not see her in that much pain.  
She did not answer for a moment “I didn’t want to hurt you.” She sobbed tears flowing again “I am so bad at this, but I didn’t want to hurt you.”  
“I know.” He pushed behind her ear a rebellious lock of hair “Let me walk you home, you are freezing.”  
Aelin nodded and they walked back to her place in silence.  
Once in front of her house they stopped. Aelin took out of her purse “Let me pay for half of the dinner.”  
His hand stopped her “Don’t even think about it.”  
“But… I have been horrible to you.”  
“I don’t care, I am not letting you pay.” And caressed her cheek “Can we talk tomorrow? In a more civilised way? I accept your feelings. I really do, but if we have to part I want to do it in a better fashion. Tonight’s fight was nasty and I’d hate to remember our time together having such a brutal ending.”  
Aelin managed a faint smile “Yeah. Yeah, it sounds good.” And Aelin’s heart felt all of a sudden lighter.  
“Good.” He kissed her cheek “I’ll text you tomorrow with an ETA of when I am meant to finish work. Is it okay with you?”  
“Yes, Elias.”  
He winked at her and left.  
Aelin stood outside the house and stared at the sea for a while, but when the wind picked up again she ran back in the house.  
She changed in her jammies and plopped on the sofa with a cup of chamomile tea. She felt horrible after the horrible dinner they had. But she was looking forward discussing things with him in a more civilised way. She hated the fight and all she had said. She did care about him, just not in the way he hoped.  
She sighed and grabbed the book on the coffee table. Her mobile lay beside it and when she retrieved it she found a text from Rowan _How was the evening? Are you okay?_  
_Disaster_ was all she texted back. A couple of minutes later his reply came _Would you like to talk about it?_ And laughed. Rowan was still coming to grasp the whole texting thing and she loved the fact that he always used proper grammar, punctuation and never contracted any words. _Not yet_ she replied.  
_Please, take the morning off tomorrow. I will handle the hordes of tourists on my own. I will see you in the afternoon._ She laughed.  
_K. <3 XOXO_ was her reply and she waited to see his.  
_Is that a sort of secret code?_  
_Good night, grandpa._  
A smile appeared on her face. She adored their banter and mocking him for his limited knowledge of certain aspect of technology was fun, although she found it quite attractive and fascinating. 

In the end she decided to go to bed instead.  
And before switching off the light she flipped through the pictures she had taken of their adventure and chose one of the two of them together as a home screen.  
“Night, Buzzard.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13 is here.  
> I hope you will like it. The central part has... a very interesting development.  
> As you hoped... Elias arc is reaching its end but I hope you still like him. He is still a teddy bear. Sorry man, ut she is Rowan's.
> 
> Rowan uses the expression _Tha gaol agam ort._ I will let you imagine what it means based on the context. If I tell you know it could be a spoiler.
> 
> And... well you have to read it.

Rowan was alone in the shop. He had given Aelin the morning off. At the word disaster he had a feeling she might want some time alone to deal with whatever happened so was happy to spend the morning on his own.  
He just hoped she was okay. She had told him she was not ready to talk about it yet and he would give her all the time she needed but in the morning as soon as he woke up he had the temptation to text her and check on her. Until a while ago he had never used a mobile phone. Now it was his only way to talk to her when she was not around and since she was the only person who had his number he’d jump every time he received a text from her. He was lost. Utterly and completely lost.  
Tangled in his thought he did not notice straight away the door open until he heard a familiar voice. He looked up and Elias was standing in front of him and a part of him just wanted to punch the man. Aelin was feeling horrible because of him.  
“Good morning,” said Elias in a tone that Rowan did not like. If he was here for a fight, he’s give him one.  
Rowan was glad that after a busy morning, the shop was all of a sudden empty, he had a feeling that the conversation coming up did not need an audience.  
The man in front of him finally moved a step closer and reached the counter and braced his hands on it.  
“So, dear Rowan…” he started with a tone anything but friendly “I guess you are probably aware that my date last night with Aelin was one big failure.” Nervously he began pacing “I spent a whole week looking forward to see her again. To go out with her and have a nice meal. I missed her. Madly.” Then he turned to Rowan and hold his stare “Imagine my disappointment to discover that instead she decided to end things.”  
“She is her own person. She is the master of her own life and if she decided to end things you have to respect her.” The tone in Rowan’s tone was getting dangerous.  
“She can do whatever she wants with her life. But you meddled.” Elias’ tone matched the one of the man in front of him.  
Rowan did not like the comment and had to fight to restrain himself.  
“She was fine, we were doing fine, getting to know each other, then you had the brilliant idea of offering her such a pathetic job and all goes to hell.”  
Rowan took a deep breath “I offered her this job because at the moment she is not working and not getting paid so I assumed she might have loved to get some cash in. She has a knack for it. Also, since you are so in love with her you might have noticed that Aelin is obsessed with books.” Rowan fought back “Do you know that the very first day she got her, she came off the ferry and this bookstore is where she came straight on? She is in her element here.” Rowan’s hands were at his sides and now in fists “It might be a pathetic job, as you call it, but she loves it. And she is happy.”  
“You took her from me.” Blurted Elias who seemed not to have listened a word Rowan said, far too involved in his own pain. “She is this incredible amazing woman I am madly in love with. And I have to give her up. I will respect her feelings. But it’s fucking unfair.”  
Rowan finally came away from behind the counter and stopped in front of Elias. The man was tall but Rowan was a fairly imposing picture.  
“I did not take her from you.” He almost growled again “I told you already. She is her own person and she does not need me to make decision for her. I did not put her against you. I gave her the freedom to make her own choice, so don’t make me pass for the bad guy here.”  
“I love her.” Elias confessed in an almost broken voice. “I love her and all I can think since last night is that I can’t be with her. Do you have an idea how that fucking hurts?” Elias started pacing again “I can make her happy. Give her all she needs.”  
Rowan stared at the man in silence and could hear the anguish in the man’s words. He was probably just as mad for Aelin as he was.  
“I will meet with her tonight.” He admitted “we agreed on having a talk to end things in a more civilised way.” Grey eyes met pine green eyes “I want to be friends. Just friends, I swear. I will respect her feeling and her choice and I hope you will allow me that. I can’t loose her completely.”  
Elias stance relaxed a bit when he noticed Rowan nod. “It’s her choice. I will accept anything she decides. Like you, I have her best interest at heart. She has been through enough.” And his mind went to her confession and wondered if the man in front of him knew as well.  
Elias breathed out in relief “Thank you. I hope…” he paused for a moment as if to gather his thoughts “I hope you understand your luck. I hope you realise she is incredible and please don’t break her heart or I’ll come back and kick your arse so hard you will reach London by inertia.”  
“I have no intention of hurting her.” Said Rowan ignoring the veil of arrogance in the man’s words.  
“Make her happy, please. You win.”  
And with that he left the shop.  
Rowan texted her straight away _Are you okay?_

Aelin arrived in the early afternoon at the shop. After she had quickly told him about her disastrous night he had told her to take the morning off. It was not unusual. The shop tended to be busier in the afternoon and Rowan was always happy to allow her the morning off if she needed it.  
So she had gone for a run. Sleep had been fitful and she kept going through the fight she had with Elias. It had been horrible and tears were still threatening to make an appearance at the thought of the terrible things they had said to each other. A the selfish part of her though, was happy that it was over. She wanted to tell Rowan her feelings and finally being able to enjoy the contact with him without feeling guilty about cheating on an another man.  
The run had helped to clear her mind and release part of the sadness that had been building up since the previous night. She saw the morning ferry going out and her mind went back to the adventure she had with Rowan, what had passed between them and the further steps they had taken in their strange relationship.  
Her phone buzzed and she noticed a text from Rowan asking her if she was okay. Damn she loved him but he could be overprotective. _And you love it.  
_ _Out for a run. I’ll see u l8r.  
_ He didn’t reply and she pocketed the phone.  
She was walking a bit when the phone buzzed again.  
_Why can’t you use full words? I had to search on Google what l8r meant.  
_ And Aelin laughed at his reply. He was somewhat adorable.  
_Grandpa._ Was all she said back.  
Music back in her ears and she went back running. She had purchased music from Peat and Diesel and quite a few songs from Runrig as well and it was quite lovely to run along the streets of Stornoway while listening to a song about the town itself. She had become obsessed with those two groups.  
She finished her run and went straight for a shower once back at home. She had run for a longer distance than usual and she knew she was going to pay for that very soon.  
Half an hour later she was clean, wore Rowan’s hoodie and left the house.

As soon as she entered the shop, Rowan’s arms were around her.  
What the heck?  
“PDA in the shop? Who are you and what have you done with my Mr Grumpy pants?” She joked while leaning into the embrace.  
“Are you okay?” She could hear worry in his tone.  
Why was he being weird?  
“Yeah.” She replied pulling back from him.  
“Elias was here this morning.” He confessed.  
Shit. That explained his behaviour.  
“Ro, is he still alive?”she demanded looking at him quizzically “I know I have ended things with him but it would be nice to have him alive as a friend.”  
“We had a chat and he told me the gist of what happened last night.” He looked away and she had a bad feeling “Aelin, if you want him… I will understand.”  
“I want you.” She finally admitted but he was not looking at her. Why was he being such an idiot? As if what had been happening between them was not a sign where her true feeling lay.  
“Maybe you shouldn’t. Maybe you should just leave me alone. I am just a book boy after all.” He added, through gritted teeth.  
“I can’t Rowan.” She moved a step in his direction until she was in front of him. She looked up at him and the pain in his eyes was too much.  
Was he really willing to give her up?  
Another step toward him and she was glad that he did not move away from her. Her chest was now brushing his. Her hand searched for his and held it.  
“Ro, look at me.” And he did. “I made my choice.” Her voice was soft and full of love for him.  
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on his lips “I want you.” She kissed him again and this time she got a reaction from him.  
In an instant she felt his arms lift her up and in reply she wrapped her legs around him. He never broke the kiss and they reached a hidden corner of the bookshop where Rowan pinned her against the bookcase.  
So much for boring.  
Aelin’s arms had sneaked around his neck and know her fingers were knitted in his hair pushing his face as close as possible to hers. She did not need oxygen. It was overrated anyway. She needed his lips on hers, his hard, beautiful body crushed against hers.  
Rowan’s mouth followed a path with maddening slowness from the lips, to her jaw and now was very busy nibblink at that amazing spot between neck and shoulder. A moan escaped her and in response his tongue was now tracing the column of her neck.  
Gods his lips were like heaven. And she was already on fire.  
When his mouth returned to hers, she fully opened up to him, letting his tongue do devilishly things to her. Heat began to pool at her core and her brain decided to picture that skilful tongue of his on other parts of her body.  
“Ro…” and Rowan had decided he loved his name on her lips.  
“Gods you taste amazing.“  
His hips pushed her harder against the bookcase and Aelin throw her head back and exposed her neck a bit more. Another push of his hips and Aelin this time she felt him against her abdomen.  
She was about to point out their location when one of his hands gently palmed her breast and she forgot even her name. The touch was gentle but enough to send her reeling.  
“Ro…” she called him breathless “We are in the shop and we are open.”  
He stopped abruptly and it took him a moment to regain control.  
“I should have kissed you earlier.” She joked, pulling him to her, she was not ready yet to be separated from his body.  
He looked at her still with a shocked face “I am sorry…’ he ran a hand through his hair in a gesture of confusion.  
Aelin closed the distance and kissed him again “It was perfect.”  
Rowan grinned “I have been thinking about it for a while now. What I would do if I would get to kiss you.”  
He stooped and kissed her again and with his hands he caressed both side of her face.  
She looked at him and in his eyes she noticed all the love that he finally allowed himself to feel for her. The passion was burning and she ran a hand through his hair never averting his gaze. “I love you, Rowan.” She whispered, almost afraid to say those word too out loud and break the magic they have been sharing.  
She caressed his cheek and her gaze followed the lines of his beautiful face “I want you. I choose you. I am yours, if you let me.”  
Rowan was stunned for a moment. She had made her choice and she had chosen him and he was stunned by the fierceness she used to utter them.  
Then he bolted as if he had awaken all of a sudden from a daze. He ran to the door of the shop, turned the sign to close, locked the door and switched off the lights.  
He ran back to Aelin and lifted her again and with her completely wrapped around him he walked to his office and placed her sitting on his desk.  
Aelin did not loose a second and grabbed the back of his neck and closed the distance again, feeling the need of his lips on her again.  
His hands stroked her back almost reaching her butt, then slowly climbed up to her sides while his thumbs gently brushed the underside of her breasts.  
He moved between her legs, definitely removing any space between them.  
Her hands trailed own his body and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it off him then pulled back a little and stared at him. He was stunning and definitely the body of an athlete. A hand splayed open on his chest feeling the shape of his muscles, continuing to his broad shoulders, reaching the behind him and she took him the expanse of his back.  
His eyes were closed and was clearly enjoying her touch.  
A finger traced some of the lines of his tattoo, then her mouth and tongue was on his chest. His skin was soft and somehow she could taste his smell of pine and snow. Both hands reached his abdomen feelings his rock stomach below her fingertips.  
“When we have more time I want to lick every centimetre of you.” And while her mouth restarted the climb to his neck, a hand brushed the top of his jeans in a teasing motions and she felt his shudder.  
“You are amazing…” and in response his hands knitted in her hair and claimed her mouth again in a desperate need to taste her again.  
Aelin grabbed her t-shirt and in a swift motion she threw it on the floor with his.  
He stopped to look at her, and she heard him gasp.  
Rowan thought she was a goddess. His hand very gently brushed the top of her breasts with the back of it, “you are gorgeous.” In a maddening slow motion, his fingers traced the full shape of them and once he was done, while he palmed one of her mounds he used his thumb to gently lower the fabric of her bra and expose her now hard peaks. His mouth was on it in seconds, sucking and nibbling and Aelin let out a moan and the sound was almost his undoing.  
“ _Tha gaol agam ort._ ” He finally admitted to her while he moved away from her chest and gently climbed back up to her mouth.  
“ _Tha gaol agam ort._ ” He repeated a second time. His hand at the back of her neck crushed their mouths together again.  
“Say it again.” Breathed against his ravenous mouth.  
“ _Tha gaol agam ort._.” Aelin had an idea she knew what he had just said. It was one the things she had looked up. She was planning to surprise him and use the Gaelic but in the end her mind was so occupied with other stuff that she had said the words in English.  
Aelin looked at him, blue eyes meeting green and she got closer to him again until she felt his hand moved to the front of her jeans. She slightly opened her legs to allow him access and even with the fabric between his fingers and he bare skin it was enough to make her moan loudly and when he applied some pressure on her sensitive spot she thought she was going to crack open.  
“Rowan…” she begged him.  
“I love your name on my lips…”his thumb made her jerk and at the same time his mouth went back torturing one of her nipples.  
“Where…” her brain had disconnected and it was a miracle she remembered her name. Barely “Where else would you like my lips…” she teased him as soon as she was able to utter a full sentence.  
His only response was a kiss that was seeping mad need for her and she wished they could just cross the last line.  
He took her hand and brushed against the swell of his trousers. With a wicked finger Aelin traced his length and all she could imagine was him inside her and how he felt.  
She went to unbutton his jeans but his hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “Not in my office. Not like this.This is not right.” He was breathless and his accent all of a sudden was heavier and Aelin thought he sounded even sexier.  
Aelin glared at him at his remark.  
“I didn’t mean this,” indicating at the two of them. “I mean this. My office. This was amazing, but what I have in mind does not involve my horrible office and a desk.”  
And she understood what he meant and smiled at him fondly.  
Shock hit him when she took both of his hands and placed one each on her breasts “Fine. But just so you know, these are now yours. You can play with them whenever you want. But my two girls here, like to be worshipped.”  
Rowan roared in laughter “I will do my best to please all of you.” And kissed both of her breasts and then her mouth for emphasis.  
“And where would you like _it_ to happen?” And it was her time to provoke him. And while she waited for an answer she resumed kissing his wonderful upper body.  
“A romantic getaway.” He finally said, with his hands back in her hair “We would have a cottage with the fire on. Outside is snowing. And you and I spend the day in bed, doing this, and much, much more.”  
“Is this a promise?”  
“ _Tha.”_  
They made out for another half an hour and then Aelin came up for breath and jumped off the table. “Let’s reopen the shop.” Quickly she grabbed her discarded t-shirt and got dressed again and Rowan did the same.  
Before leaving Aelin took his hand.  
“I am all yours, Buzzard.”  
“To whatever end, Fireheart.” He replied before stealing another kiss.

It was later in the evening when she did manage to meet with Elias. He had been held up at work and he was on his way now but later than expected. She had ordered some food. She was starving and very likely so was he.  
She was finishing plating the food when the doorbell went off. Quickly she went to the door and opened it.  
He was standing there in his suit and he was looking stunning as his usual.  
“Come in.”  
He removed his shoes and followed her inside “I smell food.”  
“Yes.” She smiled at him and they finally got to the living room and he noticed the coffee table all set up with a bottle of wine in the middle and the plates full of wonderful food.  
“We didn’t get to enjoy or dinner last night, so I went to pick up food from the restaurant and tadaaa.” She opened her arms and pointed at the dinner.  
“You didn’t have to.”  
“Yes, I did. Plus, talking while enjoying some amazing food is much better.”  
He sat down on the pillows she had arranged around the table while she took her place on the opposite side.  
Elias grabbed the bottle of wine and filled their glasses.  
“To friendship.” He said lifting his glass to her.  
“To friendship.” She replied clinking her glass against his.  
“Aelin…” but she stopped him.  
“No, let me go first.”  
He nodded and took a bite of his food.  
“I am sorry. When I moved here I was positive I was done with men and all that. I was not expecting to find myself torn between two wonderful men in such a short time. It was overwhelming and also one of the reasons for my panic attacks.” She explained while tasting her food “before Rowan and I began to become friends I had a thing for you.” Having a whole day to think properly about her explanation had helped “But then things changed. All of a sudden I was drawn to him. If we were in a fantasy book, the author would be calling us soulmates. Of course it’s the real world but still… what I felt and feel for him is… strong. As if his soul resonates with mine.” She stopped and sipped a bit of her wine “please don’t laugh.”  
Elias shook his head and smiled “I am not. And I think it’s a good description.” And took another bite of his food “Fine. I am a hopeless romantic. I love a good mushy story.”  
Aelin laughed then her expression turned serious again “What I meant is that I didn’t intend to cause all this. I had no intention of misleading you or hurt you. I was just confused and I was not sure if Rowan returned the feelings. And I am sorry.”  
He place a hand on hers “Stop apologising.” He told her tenderly “I can’t say that it doesn’t hurt. Because it does. A lot. But hey, I am the guy who laughs at his own divorce, it will pass.” He grabbed some fries and dipped them in ketchup “All I want you to know is that I care about you. You are incredible and you kinda stole my heart that day on the beach. But at least I know that you are dumping me because you really love the other guy and not because he makes more money than me.” And the two of them laughed at the joke. He really loved to make fun of his divorce and she wondered when she would reach that stage when Chaol’s betrayal would stop stinging.  
“You are amazing, intelligent and caring. I loved every single moment I spent with you. I had fun. A lot. You made me feel welcome in a brand new place and I am so grateful.” She looked in his eyes “you looked after me after my panic attack and made me super sweet chamomile tea.” She squeezed his hand back “I am grateful and I treasure every moment we had together.”  
“More wine?” He asked.  
“Yes, please.” She offered him her glass to be refilled “Dinner was wonderful. I am glad we did manage to eat. Last night I was also pissed that I did not get to finish my wonderful meal.”  
“That place really does wonderful food and I love the fact that the fish they use is whatever gets landed in the morning.”  
“I was in Lochinver and I tried the famous pies.”  
“You went to the Larder. That place is an institution. Every time I go north and pass Lochinver I always stop for lunch and on my way back I stop and I stock up in pies.”  
Aelin smiled and was happy that they were talking normally again. She had not liked the drama from the night before. He did not deserve her hate.  
“Elias?”  
“Yes?”  
“What does _mo chridhe_ mean?” He spoke Gaelic, she could ask him.  
“It’s a term of endearment. It means my heart.”  
Aelin’s heart raced and her mind went back to the moment Rowan had used it with her.  
“Why?”  
“I just…” she had to lie now “I heard a mum tell it to her kid and I was just wondering. That’s all.”  
“My mum still uses it with my father. They have been married for a very long time and they are still madly in love. I think it’s their fault if I am such a hopeless romantic.”  
Aelin grinned while he finished polishing off his plate. She was sure one day he would make a woman very happy. He was a wonderful man.  
They chatted over wine and now empty plates for a while longer, then Elias stood.  
“Hey, it’s getting quite late and I have work again tomorrow and I had a very long day. Do you mind if I get back home, I have a bit of a drive.” He explained and started moving to the door.  
Aelin followed him “No, no absolutely.” Then she took his hand “Thank you for tonight, for understanding. For everything.”  
He moved a step closer to her and his hand cupped he cheek “I would have loved to be the one you chose, but truth is, I just want you happy. Even if it’s not with me.” He closed the distance and his arm went around her waist “But it would have hurt even more to know that you were with me and not happy.” His other hand brushed her hair behind her ear. His thumb traced her lips “You have an amazing smile and I want to imagine that he can make you laugh more than I possibly could.”  
He kissed her forehead “Are you happy with him?”  
“Yeah.” Aelin’s voice was barely audible.  
He pulled her to him and held her tightly and Aelin hid her face in his neck “Don’t feel guilty. It’s not that we are adding another divorce to our list.” He added as a joke.  
She pulled back and laughed an he did the same.  
“In a fantasy book I would probably be the first love interest that ends up dying tragically.”  
She gave him a smile “Or you can be the kind of guy who is the loyal friend. The main female character finds her true mate but she can’t let the first man go, so they build a strong friendship.”  
“I would love that, so very much.”  
This time it was her turn to brush her hand through his hair “You are a wonderful man, Elias. I truly think so.”  
“And you can text me while you are reading books.” She said to him  
“Good, because now you have me hooked on some cool stuff and I need someone to talk about it and none of my friends and colleagues are into books.”  
“What are you reading?”  
“I started _The cursed kingdom_ last night. I spent today at work thinking about it and I blame you, young lady.”  
Aelin laughed “that is a good one. Just…. Have wine ready.”  
“Will do. Now if you’ll excuse m’lady, I have a hot date with a my bed.”  
She opened the door but stopped.  
“Elias…”  
“We are good, Aelin. I promise.”  
He took her hand in his and kissed it.  
Then waved her goodbye and got into his car.  
Aelin stood in the doorway until his car disappeared in the traffic, then closed the door and go back inside.

She grabbed her phone and texted Rowan.  
_I am yours, mo chridhe._  
A moment later came his reply.  
_Tha gaol agam ort._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14 folks.  
> And Lysandra and Aedion are here as well <3

A few days had passed and finally the big day had arrived. Lysandra and Aedion were on their way.  
Aelin was pacing in the small arrivals section of Stornoway airport and kept looking at the screen for the status of the flight from Glasgow. Lysandra and Aedion were on their way and she was excited.  
Finally the status changed to _on approach_ and Aelin was now full on restless. She hadn’t seen them in a while and was dying to hug Lys again and spend two weeks with her best friend and catch up.  
Rowan had stayed behind at the bookshop but they were going to him after they had dumped everything at her place. She had offered them her spare bedroom. She had the space so why not? Also, she loved the idea of sharing a flat with Lysandra again. She was hoping to have time to just be with her and in her heart she was begging for Rowan and Aedion to get along so she could get the boys together and be alone with Lysandra.  
Twenty minutes passed and the screen had been flashing _landed_ for a while when she finally heard her name by a voice that she would have recognised everywhere.  
“Lys.” She shouted and ran for her friend and hugged her savagely making a scene in front of all the other passengers.  
The two girls hugged for a solid five minutes until Aedion cleared his throat. Aelin finally detached and gave the man a hug “It’s nice to see you as well.”  
“It’s fine Ace, I am used to be an afterthought when it comes to you two.”  
Aelin grabbed some of the bags “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”  
The drive home was short and sweet and the two women had spent the time catching up, something that would probably take the whole two weeks. Aedion had sat in silence, knowing full well how much Lysandra had missed Aelin.  
They finally arrived at Aelin’s place and they all got in and Lysandra was staring at the place in amazement.  
“Aelin, this place is wonderful.”  
“Just renting it for now, but yes I love it.” Aelin took her friends upstairs, gave them a tour and showed them their bedroom “the bathroom is at the end of the corridor”  
“Are we going to meet Rowan?” Lysandra was dying to finally be introduced to the guy. Aelin had kept her posted on her development with her two guys and also sent her some of the pictures she had taken of him during their trip.  
“We are going to the bookshop as soon as you two are ready to get out again. Take your time, I am downstairs.”  
Aelin left them and went back downstairs and texted Rowan _They are here. We are at my place. We will be there in about an hour I think._  
His reply did not come straight away _Busy. I will see you in a bit. I am looking forward to meet your friends._  
Forty minutes later the couple came down stairs all changed and ready to go.  
“Rowan is waiting for us.” Added Aelin with excitement. She had been counting down the days to this since Lys had told her over the phone that they were coming.  
They left and started walking to the bookshop and Aelin acted as guide and was pointing at places and telling them stories as if she had live there all her life.  
Ten minutes later they were at the shop “Tadaaa”  
“Is that him?” Lysandra whispered when she spotted a man with silver hair through the window and Aelin smiled in reply.  
“Holy fuck, young lady, not a single one of the pictures you sent me do him any justice.”  
“I am standing here, by the way.” Protested Aedion, feeling left out.  
“Yes, darling, I know.” She kissed him tenderly.  
“Seriously, you really hit the jackpot.”  
Aelin laughed and turned to Aedion “you know she loves you right?”  
Lysandra turned to him a kissed him again “I’ll prove you tonight I much I love you.” And a massive grin spread on his face, while Aelin pretended not to hear.  
As soon as they entered Aelin felt Rowan’s arms around her waist and a soft kiss on her lips “Hi you.”  
“Back at you.” She said returning the kiss. Then she pulled away and made the introductions “Lysandra, Aedion, this is Rowan.” She turned to him “Ro, these are my friends.”  
“Welcome to Stornoway, guys.” Lysandra stared at him and heat flushed through her. His accent added to his already high level of hotness, together with the awesome tattoo sneaking up his arm. Damn the man was sex made real. She had to get a grip. She had Aedion and she loved him.   
“We are so happy to be here.”  
“And I am glad there is another guy here. I would have risked to have two week of holidays by myself.” Aedion joked grabbing Lysandra by her waist and pulling her to him.  
“Cheeky.”  
“Babe, I love you but when it comes to you and Aelin, most of times _I am_ the third wheel.”  
When a customer came in, Aelin made a move to go an d serve him but Rowan stopped her “Stay with your friends.”  
Aelin gave Lys and Aedion a tour of the place and they loved it showing with pride her displays.   
“So this is where you work just now.” Lysandra said almost beaming at her friend. “You seem happy, much happier than when you left.” And took her hand.  
“I am…” and her gaze landed on Rowan and Aedion gave them some privacy and pretended to browse some books.  
“So are you two…”  
Aelin shook her head “We are taking it slowly, no labels or anything. And we haven’t… you know… that… yet.”  
“How can you resist it? Have you seen him?” Lysandra pointed out.  
“We have a promise.” Aelin explained and when she noticed Lysandra’s expression she expanded a bit “It’s a long story, but it will happen but not until the correct conditions are met.”  
“By the way… his hands…” and Aelin laughed and remembered the day in the office.  
“I know, they are wonderful.” And winked at her friend.  
“So you did something.”  
“Of course, we are taking it slowly, but not that slowly.”  
“Is he good?” Asked Lysandra who was getting super curious.   
Aelin gave her a huge grin.  
“You naughty girl.”  
The two women were chatting away when the boys joined them again and Rowan held Aelin from behind and put his chin on her shoulder “If you guys are hungry, this is the time when we usually close for lunch. We can go to my aunt’s.”  
Aelin turned and threw her arms around Rowan’s neck “Fooood. I knew I chose you for a reason.”  
Lysandra stared at her friend and was stunned by how much she had changed. She had never seen her like that. Not even when things with Chaol were good, she appeared that happy. She was different. A good different and that made her super relieved. The last memories she had of Aelin were of someone heartbroken in more ways than one.  
“I am starving,” said Aedion.  
Lysandra and Aedion left the shop and Aelin and Rowan followed after having closed the doors. He grabbed her hand “Let’s go.”  
A few minutes later they were at the cafe.  
“Maeve is Rowan’s aunt.” Explained Aelin while they entered the place. It was quite busy that day but they managed to get a table for four.  
Maeve joined them a moment later with the menus.  
“We have guests today. These are Lysandra and Aedion. They are my friends from London.” Aelin made the introductions.   
“Welcome guys. These are the menu. Take your time to order.”  
“The food here is great.” Aelin told them and she heard Rowan chuckle.  
“Any problems?”  
“You would know if the food is good. You already tried it all, twice.” And he flicked her nose tenderly.  
“Did you forget to take your ‘be nice’ pills today?” She jested and Lysandra was staring at her friend in fascination.   
“But I love seeing getting all worked up for nothing, _mo chridhe_.” And he kissed her gently.  
“Was that Gaelic? The last thing you said, by the way.” Asked Lysandra not understanding the last thing Rowan said.  
Aelin nodded.  
“I am sorry, but it’s so sexy.” And she blushed savagely.  
Rowan laughed out loud “I’ll take it as a compliment.”  
They finally ordered the food and after a while it arrived.  
“This looks awesome.” Commented Aedion who was really starving. They had left London very early and had it felt like their breakfast had been a lifetime ago.  
“So, I had a look at some of the things we can do while you guys are here and I thought about a little side trip.” Aelin explained, pulling out her guide from the backpack “I was thinking a four days trip and head for North Uist.” Then she turned to Rowan “Can it be done?”  
Rowan nodded enthusiastically “I have a better plan,” he offered and Aelin nodded eagerly he was the local, he had a better idea of what could be done. “Day one, we can head south, catch the second ferry in the morning and in an hour we are on North Uist and we can hang about the north.” He explained “Day two we can drive the whole length of North and South Uist. They are basically loads of islands connected by causeways. Day three, we can venture all the way to Barra. If we leave early in the morning we can catch the first ferry our. Spend the day on the island and come back with the last ferry. It’s June and the days are super long. Day four me come back, but we can take them to some nice places on Lewis.”  
“Why did I even bother buying a guide, when I have you?” She touched his hand and he grinned back.  
Lysandra clapped her hands excited “I trust you two. I mean I am open to anything.”  
“Me too.” Added Aedion.  
“And there’s beaches” Rowan added and Aelin looked at him “Huge ones.”  
“What? Better than Luskentyre?”  
Rowan nodded and Aelin’s mouth fell open “How is that even possible?”  
“What is Luskentyre?” Asked Aedion curious.  
“It’s this incredible, stunning, amazing beach. We’ll go there, I promise.” Explained Aelin remembering the first time she went there.  
“Can we swim?” This time it was Lysandra.  
Rowan was dubious. He could but he was not sure they could take it “It’s June. If we get a good day, chances are it will be warm but the water might not be that as warm. We are still talking about the Atlantic Ocean.”  
“But we can suntan? I need to loose my Londoner’s pallor.” Then she looked at Aelin who had gained a bit of colour “Like her.”   
Rowan for a moment imagined Aelin in a swimsuit. He pushed the image away because they were in public and with friends.  
“Could you close the shop for four days?”  
Rowan nodded “I haven’t taken a holiday in a very long time. I don’t care.” And his arm went around her shoulder and she gave him a wonderful smile that almost stopped his heart.  
“Logistics,” continued Aelin who was having a great time planning the time away with Rowan and her friends “How about a self catering. We get a cottage so we have more freedom?”  
“I know some places.” Added Rowan “I know one that has a view of the sands from the living room. And the path to the beach is not far away. I can get in touch with them.”  
“Please.” Said the two women in unison.  
“Let us know the price and we’ll share. I am paying for Lys. This is kinda a very belated birthday present for her.” And he kissed her tenderly.  
“Ok, today is Wednesday,” said Rowan “Can we do Friday? I have to go to the school tomorrow.” And he turned to Aelin “I am going for my instructor trial tomorrow morning.” Then he turned to Aedion “you can come with me so the ladies can have some time alone.”  
“Thanks man, our girls need a few hours of crazy gossiping.”  
“Lysandra and I can man the shop.”Aelin grinned wildly.  
“Ohhh I would love that. Yes, please.” Lysandra stared at Rowan with puppy eyes.  
“Can we trust them?” Joked Rowan talking to Aedion. He had a good feeling about the guy at liked him from the beginning.  
“It’s your shop, man. I hope you are insured.”  
Rowan and Aedion laughed while the two women glared at them.  
“You two are horrible.” Said Lysandra.  
Aedion hugged her “Yes, but you love me.”  
“Maybe,” she pouted.

The next morning Lysandra and Aelin were ready for their morning alone in the shop and for some well deserved gossiping. The boys were away and they finally had some time alone.  
“I love this, by the way.” Said Lysandra looking around the bookstore “Rowan has done an amazing job.”  
Aelin nodded and went to open the door and noticed one of their regulars. She collected the order for the woman and Lysandra studied her friend at work. She seemed a natural.  
When she was free again, Lysandra decided to begin “So, you and Rowan. Are you seriously telling me that you guys are not together? I have seen how he looks at you. And when he told you that sweet thing in Gaelic? Hell Aelin, that man is crazy about you.”  
Aelin took a seat next to Lysandra.  
“I know.” She sighed “And I am madly in love with him. We both know our feelings.”  
“So why the breaks?”  
Aelin’s stare was fixed outside the window “Because until a few days ago Elias was still in the picture. Because we both had bad past relationship and both need to take it slowly for once. Neither of us wants to fuck up this one. So no labels for now. Just let it develop as it goes. And I love it. I love him, Lys, so badly that it hurts.”  
“I can see that.” Lysandra caressed Aelin’s head “And I can see he does too.” Then she took her friend’s hand “I don’t think I have ever seen you so happy. Not even with police guy.”  
Aelin squeezed Lysandra’s hand back.  
“And please let’s discuss how that man is sex on two legs, now that I had some time to study him in real life.”  
Aelin barked a laugh “I am glad Aedion is not here.”  
“Seriously. One: his hands. The things he could do with them. Two: the backside. He should have a permit because that thing is a weapon that could kill.”  
Aelin kept laughing. She missed this. They used to discuss together the guy they were interested in, but it was the first time Lysandra was so openly excited about one of her men.   
“Three… is he a god or something? His body, have you seen him? Imagine him naked…” and Lysandra fanned herself with her hands.  
Aelin thought back at the day in his office when he had his polo shirt off.   
“He used to be a professional swimmer, he almost made it to the Olympics.”  
“Holy mother of all fucks.”  
And Aelin had missed Lysandra’s colourful language of when she was shocked.  
“So that’s why the swimming thing for the school?”  
Aelin nodded “Bad injury. Had to give up.”  
“Drat, that’s awful.”  
“Anyway, if you let him go I am coming back here and I’ll thump you.”  
They were chatting away when the door opened and Elias entered the shop. Aelin almost chocked on the coffee she was sipping.  
“Good morning,” he said in a very cheery voice and gave Aelin a huge smile. Then he turned to Lysandra “Is it me or Rowan is all of a sudden more gorgeous than I remember?”  
Aelin giggled “This is Lysandra, she is here visiting.” Then turned to her friend “Lys, this is Elias.”  
Lysandra’s mouth fell open “Hi…” she managed “I heard a lot about you.”  
“Good things I hope.”  
Lysandra nodded.  
“Shouldn’t you be at work?”  
“Aye lass, but I have a very tedious meeting coming up in two hours and a desperate need for books.” He leaned against the counter with his hands.  
“You need book two of _The cursed Kingdom_?”  
“And three, and four.” Elias added.  
Aelin jumped off the chair and went to get the books and Elias followed her at the shelves “Love the display. Are you trying to break everyone’s heart by recommending this series?”  
“No,” she handed him the books “I am just teaching islanders what a good Fantasy series looks like.”  
They walked back to the counter under the strict stare of Lysandra.  
“Can I at least hope in an happy ending? Because the angst so far is killing me.”  
Aelin put the books in a bag and handed them to him “Nope. As I said, buy wine. And prepare for the worst angst in history. And I am not telling you how it finishes.”  
“Ok, the warrior guy cannot die and he needs to end up with the Queen.”  
Aelin giggled and loved the fact that they could still talk and be around each other without it being awkward.  
“Just text me when you reach chapter twenty five of book two.”  
“Something bad happens?”  
“Just text me.” Aelin rolled her eyes.  
“Of course m’lady.” And he bowed to her with a huge spitting grin. His eyes bright with mirth.  
“And after this lovely conversation I have to bid farewell to you two lovely ladies and go back to a conversation about environmental friendly engines.”  
“I’ll text you.” He added staring at Aelin.  
“I am counting on it.”  
And with that he left the shop.  
Lysandra turned all of a sudden to her friend “That was Elias. As in _the_ Elias as in the other guy?”  
Aelin nodded.  
“Damn, now I understand why you were all flustered and confused. Seriously woman, what do guy eat around here?” Lysandra blurted out “Ok, he is not sex on two legs like Rowan but I’d definitely take him out for a ride if it wasn’t that I love Aedion.”  
“He is wonderful. Just…”  
“No spark. It’s fine. At least you are still good friends.”  
Aelin wanted to reply but a group of what clearly were tourists came into the bookshop.   
By accident Lysandra moved the mouse with her hand and it woke up the computer and she noticed the screensaver. It was a picture of Aelin on the beach. She had her arms up in the air and her feet in the water and a smile she had never seen on her friend. And her heart ached. She was happy for Aelin, but she also knew that the chances of her going back to London were now non-existent. And the idea of not having her around hurt. But she knew Aelin needed all of the good things that were happening to her and she hoped Rowan was intelligent enough to realise what an amazing woman he had won over.   
Lysandra got off the chair and started walking around the shop with interest and studied Aelin in her new element.

It was later in the morning when Rowan and Aedion returned to the shop.  
“Glad to see my bookshop is still standing, Fireheart.” And he pulled her to him for a hug and Aelin could smell the chlorine on him and flinched. She kissed him behind his ear and found a spot where the chlorine did not seem to affect him and smiled.  
“How was it?” She asked looking up at him.  
“I loved it. The kids are great and it felt awesome to be back in the water.” He kissed her “And after they all left I stayed in the water and swam a bit.”  
She stayed hugged to him but turned a little to look at Lysandra “We had a good morning too. And Elias popped in for a visit. He needed the other books in _The Cursed Kingdom_.”  
“Poor man,” Rowan joked and kissed Aelin’s head grateful that she did not hide from him the fact that the man had come to the shop. He was okay with them being friends because that made Aelin happy. And that was going to be his next mission in life: make her as happy as he could.  
“So you are taking the job?”  
“I will. After our break. I already told them so.” He explained.  
And Aelin grinned. She was happy that Rowan had made that step, he seemed happier all of a sudden “Now I just need to see you swim.”  
Lysandra’s eyebrows went up in acknowledgement and she thought about the conversation they had earlier.  
“I was thinking…” began Rowan and Aelin gave him a puzzled look and he ignored her “What about dinner all of us together at my place tonight?”  
Aelin was staring at him in disbelief. What had happened to him all of a sudden? She looked at his serene face and she realised they were a long way from the grumpy man who had kicked her out of the shop and told her she was nothing to him. She slid her arms around his waist and almost purred. She did not care if her friends were there. She needed that. Plus, in the past she had to suffer Lysandra and her PDA with other boyfriends.  
“Sounds like a brilliant plan.”

Rowan had closed an hour earlier and affixed a sign on the door advising the customers that the shop was going to close for four days for holidays. They had all gone to their respective places to pack and get ready for their trip.  
Aelin felt on cloud number nine.   
They arrived at Rowan’s at six thirty. They had decided for an early dinner. They didn’t want to stay up too late considering the early departure on the schedule for the following day.  
Once at the house, Rowan welcomed them in and his place smelled like delicious food. Apparently Rowan was good at cooking. Aelin was eager to see if she could add that one as well to the list of skills the man had.  
“Come and sit in the living room.”  
“Wow.” Was Lysandra’s comment at the sight “And I thought Aelin had a problem with books. Looks like you are worse than her. Definitely the man of her dreams.” And she winked at Aelin with a mischievous smile.  
Rowan pretended to ignore the comment and opened a bottle of wine “You can drink too since you did not drive here.”  
Aelin rolled her eyes. He was so overprotective. “Yes, dad.”  
And Lysandra laughed loudly and Aelin had half an idea of why.  
Rowan filled their glasses “dinner will be ready soon.” And disappeared back in the kitchen and Aelin glared at Lysandra.  
“What?” He friend whispered “I am just helping.”

Rowan came back a few minutes later with a fantastic series of plates with mouthwatering food.  
“You made all this?” Asked Aelin incredulous.  
“I did.” Then he brought over the last two dishes. He had made an amazing pork roast with vegetables, and roasted potatoes. “These are for you.” He gave Aelin a plate with fries “I know you love them, although you are missing out on my roasted potatoes.”  
“Who said I am missing out?” She grinned.  
They began eating and Aelin was amazed s the meal turned out to be wonderful and she wondered if her could be any more perfect.  
“I have found a place for us where to stay. It’s a cottage I knew and they had space for the nights we needed so I went ahead and booked it. Hope it’s okay.”  
“As long as it’s the one with the beach view.” Aelin had her priorities all right.  
“It is. I also booked our ferry ticket so we don’t have to worry too much.”  
“What time would you like to leave tomorrow?” Asked Aelin knowing that Rowan already had an action plan.  
“I’ll come and pick you up at seven. Better leave early, especially if we plan to go to Luskentyre. I plan on having to drag Aelin away by force.” He grinned at her and brushed her hand “We have the ferry at 13:15.” He took a sip of his wine “I had a look at the forecast and it looks like we are going to be very lucky. There is a warm front coming and it’s going to hit us right when we are away. but…” and he stared at the two women “bring clothes to protect you from the wind. Aelin knows how bad the wind can get out here.” And his piercing green eyes were on Aelin.  
“I am going to bring a swimsuit. I don’t care. I need to swim in those waters.”  
“I’ll bring medicines.” He replied glaring at her.

The dinner went on a bit longer but at 9 Rowan decided he was sending everyone home. They had a long day ahead and they needed rest.  
“You are kicking us out so you can read.” Aelin told him brushing a kiss on his cheek.  
“I am kicking you out because we are leaving early tomorrow.” He leaned into the kiss.  
“Do you want a help cleaning up?” She offered but he refused “Pans and pots are already washing in the dishwasher. I just need to do the dishes. It won’t take me long.”  
“Okay” she said brushing his hand.

Once at the door Lysandra and Aedion said their goodbyes and then the woman dragged her boyfriend away to let the two some privacy.  
“Thank you for tonight. It was very nice of you.”  
Rowan kissed her and pinned her against the wall near the door. Aelin’s hands went straight for his hair and replied to the kiss with the same need as him.  
When she came up for air she stared him in his green eyes “I love you, _mo chridhe_.”  
“The more you say it, the more your accent gets better.” And he kissed her again.  
“I love you, _mo chridhe_ ,”  
His hand brushed her hair and kissed her one last time for good measure.   
“ _Tha gaol agam ort._ ”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15 is here.
> 
> Our gang is away on an adventure.  
> Writing this chapter was actually quite fun.  
> I really hope you will love it.
> 
> The song that Aelin and Rowan talk about on the beach is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uspq0Iq4tc  
> This is a live version where Bruce Guthro sings it alone. For me it's an incredible love song and I think it's perfect for those two.  
> It always give me goosebumps.

As promised at 7am on the dot Rowan reached Aelin’s house, but the trio was already out of the house waiting for him. They loaded their bags in the car and they got on. Aelin taking the passenger seat beside Rowan.  
“I am in charge of the music,” she announced “I am going to make you listen to some amazing stuff.” And she looked at Rowan. He was aware he had created a monster and that Aelin had become obsessed with Peat and Diesel and Runrig. He smiled.  
“Can you cope with three crazy tourists in the car? Lysandra buys tacky fridge magnets as well.”  
“Yes, babe, that’s a bad habit.” Commented Aedion.  
“Thank you.” echoed Rowan.  
Aelin poked Rowan in the shoulder and he pretended to bit her finger and she cackled in response.  
Lysandra was attached to the window on her side of the car and Aedion had his chin on her shoulder and they were both looking amazed at the landscape.  
“As a Londoner born and bred all of this looks alien to me. In a good way but so strange. We have been driving for twenty minutes now and since we have left town we haven’t seen a single car.” Commented Aedion “We are surrounded by moors and all these small lakes.”  
“Lochs,” Rowan corrected him “We don’t have lakes in Scotland. We call them lochs.”  
“So, is Harris another island we are crossing into?” Asked again Aedion who was super curious.  
“No,” replied Aelin proud of the fact that she knew the answer “Lewis and Harris are one big island, but Lewis is the northern part and Harris the southern one. They are quite different in character.”she pointed at the landscape outside “We are still on Lewis and the landscape is flat because it’s all peatlands. Once we cross into Harris, all of a sudden it gets rockier and hills just pop up.” Then she looked at Rowan with a smug face and he gave her a huge grin of approval.  
They were driving when Aelin shouted to stop.”Rowan pull over please.”  
“What? Why?” He asked and did as he told him.  
Aelin bolted out of the car and a minute later he saw her hugging the road sign.  
“Really?”  
“Look, it’s my village.” She shouted pointing at the sign saying _Baile Ailein_ “It’s just a little different but it sounds the same and it’s my village.” She jumped in front of the sign and Aedion and Lysandra joined them.  
“Fireheart, it means Allan’s village.”  
“I don’t care, in Gaelic it looks almost like my name.”  
Rowan went back to the car and came back a minute later with his camera and snapped a picture of her. He was planning to have a massive collection of pictures of her by the end of the trip.  
“Get back in the car, we are in the Lochs area of Lewis and there are some incredible views.” They all listened to him and jumped back in the car. Aelin had taken a photo of the sign and was now posting it on social media bragging that on Lewis there was a village with her name.  
“Aelin, are you getting used to drive on this small roads?” Asked Lysandra noticing the skilful way Rowan navigated the narrow roads and wondered about her friend.  
“I am getting used to it. The first few times it was downright scary. Now it’s fun.”  
They finally reached Harris and they took a group photo under the sign that said “Failte gu Harris.” Rowan included. He had caved in the end.  
When a little later Aelin noticed the first hint of Luskentyre she squealed out in delight “We are almost here. Lys, look out of the window.”  
Rowan smiled at her. Her happiness was infectious. “Stay calm, and sit back down.” She had leaned all the way forward with her face almost against the windscreen. Rowan pulled her back. “You are nulling the seat belts.”  
She glared at him.  
Aelin began protesting when she noticed Rowan was not stopping “Where are you going?”  
“Shhh…”  
“Is this even real?” Commented Lysandra when they drove a stretch of road that was very close to the sea. She was stunned by the colours. She had seen Aelin’s pictures, but seeing it in real life was different.  
Rowan kept driving until he reached a parking space.  
“What is this?” She asked him.  
Rowan huffed “Will you trust me?”  
The four of them started walking the path and as soon as they spotted the beach the two women took off running shedding shoes and clothes as they ran straight to the waters.  
Rowan sighed “Are they always like this?”  
Aedion laughed out loud and patted the man on the shoulder “Welcome to my world, my friend.”  
By the time they reached the beach the two women were down to their swimsuits, their clothes scattered on the sand and were now in the water up to their knees both screaming in happiness.  
Rowan and Aedion collected the clothes and joined them on the shoreline. Rowan stopped when he noticed Aelin. Her bathing suit was blue like her eyes, but the his eyes trailed down to her full hips and her long legs. And then up again. He was paralysed. And he was glad he had two doctors in the group because he was going to be in need of CPR quite soon.  
“You feel exactly like I do.” Aedion added when he noticed Rowan’s face “I met them the first time in a bar. They were still interns. I had no idea which one to hit on. But Aelin was with the idiot already. I tried my luck with Lysandra but it took me a long time to get her.”  
“They are…”  
“Yes, we are two lucky men.”  
And Rowan grinned. Yes, they were.  
He finally managed to move again and reached Aelin, his arms went firmly around her waist and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss.  
Now that Elias was out of the picture they had finally allowed each other all the kisses they had held back before. And his mind went to the day in his office.  
“Do you like the beach?” He asked her against her lips.  
“I was never here when I came to Luskentyre. I stopped way down the road.”  
“I imagined, loads of people do that.” He kissed her again “But see those dunes?” He pointed out with his finger “we can walk on the sand around them and we reach a lovely spot that gives you an incredible view of Luskentyre.”  
She knitted her hands in his hair “No comments about my swimsuit?”  
Rowan grinned “The very limited piece of clothing you are wearing? Is that what you call it?” He played jealous for a bit “I hope you remember how to perform CPR because I will need it soon.”

A bit of distance away Aedion and Lysandra were having an intimate moment as well.  
“I have a feeling those two are going to disappear soon for a quickie.”  
Lysandra laughed and shook his head “They don’t do that.”  
“Well, their faces tell otherwise.” He replied.  
“They haven’t reached that stage yet.” And this time Aedion looked at his girlfriend in shock “They just kiss and hold hands. And apparently they only started kissing a few days ago.”  
“Lys, those are not kisses of someone who just started dating. That’s the kind of kiss I give you when you, I don’t know dress up with you amazing skirts.”  
“They are not even dating.”  
And now Aedion was stunned.  
“According to what Aelin said they did not put a label yet on their relationship. They are just taking it slowly.”  
“Uhm…”  
“But I have a plan.” She whispered “I was talking to Rowan at dinner and I did manage to find out the name of the cottage. I phoned them and found out that for their bedroom he had asked for two separate beds. I phoned back and told them there had been a mistake and that we needed two double bedrooms.”  
“You are wicked.”  
“I am just helping them. Aelin is happy and he is madly in love. They both are.”  
“Wicked, wicked woman.” He kissed her deeply.

It was forty minutes later when Rowan began being paranoid and gathering everyone back to the car.  
They quickly stopped at Scarista Mhor for some pictures and fifteen minutes later they were in Leverburgh for their ferry with still fifty minutes to spare and Rowan muttering that they had cut it quite too close for comfort.  
Once on the ferry, Aelin was disappointed that she was not allowed to leave the car.  
An hour later the ferry came to a halt and docked on Berneray, a little island that acted as arrival point and was connected to North Uist via a causeway.  
Once off the boat, Rowan pulled over to formulate a plan “Our cottage is twenty minutes away. What we can do is go there, check-in, dump our stuff and eat something. Then we can drive back here and spend sometime here on Berneray. On the way back we can go to Lochmaddy, buy some provisions for food and drive back to the cottage and relax for the rest of the day down at the beach and our ladies can even try and swim.”  
“Guys?” Asked Aelin turning her head to look at the back of the car.  
“I am good with anything as long as we get out of this car.”  
Rowan laughed “Fine, let’s go and dump our stuff and get settled down. Once that is out of the way we can finally start enjoy our holiday.”  
Aelin sat back and pulled her sunglasses down “Punch it!”

The cottage was in the most perfect location ever imagined. Lysandra and Aelin got off the car and had been staring at the views for a few minutes now.  
“Why bother going back to London? They need doctors here, right?”  
Aelin laughed and took her friend’s hand. She would have to tell her friend that she was not going back and she hoped Lysandra would understand.

Ten minutes later they were carrying the bags into the cottage and Aelin was impressed by Rowan’s good taste. The place was incredible.  
She saw him walk to what she suspected was their bedroom, but he was paralysed on the door.  
“Buzzard, you are supposed to go in.”  
Rowan turned and pointed at the bed.  
“So what?”  
“It’s a double bed.”  
“Again, so what?’  
“I asked for two separate beds.”  
“Why would you do that?” She asked almost shocked.  
“I just… you know… I thought that you…” he fumbled “that since we are keeping things relaxed might not want to share a bed with me.”  
Aelin laughed, she pushed him in and closed the door and then pushed him to the bed “You can be so adorable.” She kissed him and pushed him until the back of his legs hit the bed and he sat on it. Aelin promptly straddled him, her legs at each side of his hips “I am touched that you care so much about my virtue, but that ship has sailed a long time ago.”  
He flinched.  
“Ro,” she caressed his face “Nothing needs to happen until you want it too. We can cuddle, kiss and be naughty without going the full way. It doesn’t bother me.”  
“Aelin, I want to… you have no idea.” He admitted staring into her eyes. “It’s just that….” how was he going to explain his feelings without sounding like a lunatic “I am an old fashioned idiot.” He blurted out  
“I only had sex with Lyria. I am the kind of guy who believes in joining that way actually means something. And I want to wait because for me it means commitment. And it doesn’t mean I am not interested in committing to you, because I am all in.” She left him talk, let him expose his raw emotions “We have just started this. Making love to the person I love means a lot to me. I am weird that way.” And he rolled his eyes, but when he looked at Aelin he noticed she had tears in her eyes “Are you crying because I am a pathetic fool?”  
Aelin kissed him trying to show him all the love she had for him “You are not pathetic. You are wonderful and I love you so much that my heart is about to explode.” She kissed him again. “And I love your old fashioned idea. I really do.” Another kiss “You are my weirdo. And just so you know… I am all in as well. To whatever end, remember?”  
He nodded slowly and lay down on the bed pulling her with him.  
“But I still want to kiss every centimetre of you.” She leaned over for another kiss.  
“Permission granted.” He replied sealing the kiss.

Twenty minutes later the four of them were at the tiny car park at that would give them access to Berneray beach. Aedion and Rowan collected the backpack and the two women again ran away ignoring everyone.  
“We have been reduced to carrying backpacks apparently.” Luckily, Rowan had convinced Aelin to put her stuff in his backpack.  
“Aelin kept her swimsuit on and she told me she is adamant she will swim.”  
“Lysandra was the same.”  
“No chance they got lost right?” Aedion was worried.  
Rowan laughed “Aelin smells beaches like a bloodhound. They are probably in the water already and the clothes will be all scattered again.”  
A couple of minutes later they reached the beach and as Rowan predicted the women’s clothes created a trail along the sands and both Lysandra and Aelin were already in the water swimming and playing.  
“Ach well,” said Rowan and removed his t-shirt leaving him in his swimming shorts. Aedion followed and they joined their women.  
As soon as they approached both Aelin and Lysandra began making appreciation sounds.  
Rowan too off to a run and jumped in the water and reappeared in front of Aelin. She looked up and heat spread to her special place. His shorts, now wet, hugged his shapes and her mind began wandering to very dangerous places. His hair was wet and clinging to his face. With a swift gesture he pulled it back and Aelin agreed with Lysandra’s comment. Rowan was sex on two legs. He closed the distance and pulled her in the water and in an instant she was kissing him, forcing herself to keep her hands at bay.  
“Let’s swim a bit. The water is gorgeous.”  
Aelin nodded and realised that Rowan was in his element.  
“Just don’t laugh.”  
“Why would I laugh?” He asked her pulling her to him again.  
“You are a professional swimmer. You probably look awesome and perfect while swimming. I don’t. I do breaststroke and I look like an idiot.”  
Rowan laughed “I don’t care how you swim.”  
He turned and took two powerful front crawl strokes and Aelin’s mouth fell open. It was a beautiful scene to watch him break the water with experienced perfection.  
She gained some courage and started swimming towards him and felt like a fish with clumsiness problems.  
In front of her Rowan stopped and swan back to her.  
“You are doing it wrong.” He stretched and showed her how to do it correctly. Then he placed his hands under her belly holding her up and she repeated the motions under his instructions.  
“Better.” He told her “It can be a tricky one to master. It requires coordination or you end up using more energy than needed.”  
Lysandra and Aedion reached them a moment later.  
“Can we swim to the island in front of us?” Asked Aedion.  
“I can, not sure you guys.” Affirmed Rowan “I have done it in the past. But we need to make it there and back.”  
“I can’t” said Aelin looking at the distance.  
“Me neither.” Added Lysandra “we girls can stay here and play where it’s safe. You boys go and have fun and do macho things.”  
Aelin walked to Rowan preoccupied “Ro, I am worried.” She admitted, caressing his tattoo, brushing the surgical scar marring his otherwise perfect skin “What if your shoulder…”  
“I will be fine.” He placed his hands on her cheeks “I feel good about this.”  
She nodded and decided to trust him. “Just look after Aedion. He is a fish too but he is not an ex professional.”  
“Will do.” And he gave her one last kiss.  
Aedion kissed Lysandra and the two men were off.  
Lysandra and Aelin were suntanning on the beach when they noticed their two men on the beach of the island waving at them. They both stood and waved back.  
“I didn’t know Aedion could swim that well.”  
“He is no champion like Rowan but he is good. He swims regularly and he can cover quite a distance. I usually join him but after a while I just move to the shallow side of the pool and soak until he does his million laps.”  
An hour later the two men walked out of the water and both Aelin and Lysandra looked at them with appreciation.  
Aelin had never actually noted how attractive Aedion was. He was just a bit shorter than Rowan, but he had muscles too, and a nice and tanned skin. And his blond hair reached his shoulder.  
“He is putting muscles on. He has found this place in London where they do medieval sword fighting. He has joined it and he is learning to wield a sword.”  
“No way. I want to do it.”  
“Do what?” Said Rowan’s voice in front of her.  
“Aedion has joined a group to learn medieval sword fighting.. It’s so cool.”  
“It is pretty awesome.” The man added shaking his wet hair all over Lysandra.  
“The idea of you with a sword is terrifying.” Rowan added while leaning on the beach towel at her side.  
In response she poked his sides finding nothing but hard muscles.  
“How was the swim?”  
“Gorgeous.” Replied Rowan brushing his hand through her wet hair.  
“It was incredible. I agree. Never swan in such pristine waters.”  
Once they were all dry they went back to the car and drove the twenty minutes needed to get to Lochmaddy. In the village they bought food at the local supermarket.  
On their way back, Aelin was staring at the landscape when she noticed and bed and breakfast and told Rowan to stop the car.  
The place was called Rowan Tree and she pulled him out of the car and forced him to take a photo in front of the sign.  
They got back to the cottage that it was almost dinner time and Lysandra kept telling everyone that she could not believe how bright it was.  
In their bedroom Aelin complained she needed a shower to remove the salt from her skin. She almost suggested Rowan to join her but then realised that naked in the shower could lead to other stuff and she wanted to respect Rowan’s desire. So they took turns and in the end she was glad she has the shower for herself so she could look after herself and reach the release that had been building up for a while now.  
The four of them had dinner together, cooked again by Rowan, and after their meal they decided to spend the evening the two couples each to their own.  
Rowan took Aelin down to the beach in front of their cottage. They found a nice spot with incredible views and they sat down, Aelin as usual between Rowan’s legs with her back to his chest.  
“You shoulder is bugging you.” She told him. She had noticed his grimaces of pain. He denied it.  
“Ro, the swim today was a bad idea.”  
He shook his head “I just have to retrain the muscles. I will be fine.”  
She huffed “well, tomorrow I am driving. You can be the navigator but I am driving.”  
“Driving is not an issue.”  
“Buzzard, you have this discussion with Lysandra. She is an orthopaedic surgeon. Be my guest.”  
He yielded “Fine, you drive, but you listen to me.”  
She leaned back her head and begged for a kiss “Of course.”  
They sat in silence until Rowan noticed she was humming Every River from Runrig and kissed her neck.  
“You are humming one of my favourite songs.” His arms tightened around her “It makes me think of us.”  
She kept humming.  
“ _All the ways of my life, I’d rather be with you. There is no way, without you._ ” He sang to her “or the second verse that says _but you came to me like the way of children, simple as breathing, easy as air_. This is you.”  
“It’s such a beautiful love song.”  
She felt him nod.  
They stayed on the beach a little while longer but at the first yawn, Rowan dragged her back to their room.  
Aelin reappeared in her Cookie Monster pyjama and Rowan smiled, then she climbed in bed with him.  
“I am the little spoon,” she ordered.  
He pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her pulling her body to his and burying his chin in the crook of her neck.  
“Another thing…” she grabbed his hands and moved them to her breasts “these, they camp here.”  
Rowan gave them a little squeeze “Oidhche mhath, mo chridhe.”  
“Whatever you just said.”

The next morning, Rowan had everything ready with the precision of a military officer getting ready for a mission. He made breakfast, prepared their lunches and filled their water bottles. His and Aelin’s backpack was all ready with all they needed. From fresh beach towels, to a hat, sunscreen a hat, sunglasses and his hoodie for Aelin in the off-chance the weather turned.  
He was pleased to see that Aedion was just as ready as him.  
“He is an ex-military brat. You two would get along.” Commented a sleepy Lysandra.  
“If we let things to you and Aelin we would be in bed till three in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day at home.”  
Rowan hid a laugh. He liked Aedion.  
“Ok troops, let’s march.”  
And while Lysandra was sleepy, Aelin was live and alert. In Rowan’s arms she had the best sleep in her entire life.  
They reached the car and Aelin took the wheel.  
“Why are you driving?” Lysandra sounded almost worried.  
“Rowan’s shoulder needs some rest.”  
“I noticed you seemed to have issues with it yesterday.” Lysandra added, with the eye of someone who did that for a living.  
“Old injury.” He flinched. Aelin took his hand and squeezed it.  
“I had a gym accident and suffered a complete tear of the rotator cuff. The tendons came off the bone.”  
“That’s a nasty one. What kind of surgery they did on you?”  
“They had to go for an open repair. The tear was far too big for an arthroscopic one.” He explained.  
“I have repaired quite a few of that type of injury. Rehab can be a bitch.”  
“Ro, just let me know where to go by the way.”  
“You are fine, keep driving, I’ll tell you when to turn.”  
She drove a bit longer “When we pass Clachan drive for a little longer the turn right at the first junction you see.” She did exactly that.  
“Now keep going until you reach the causeway and cross it.  
On the causeway the women were squealing. They had white sands on one side and blue waters and they had no idea where to look.  
Rowan pushed Aelin’s face “you look on the road, Fireheart.”  
“These roads are really small…” said Lysandra with apprehensive tone.  
“Now just follow the main road. Eventually it will finish and we will reach a farm.”  
They eventually reached their destination and Rowan gave her a kiss as a prize.  
For half an hour they wandered around the extensive white sands until Rowan called them back to order telling them that it was time for the main attraction of the day.  
Aelin tried to coerce a bit more info out of him but he refused.  
They were back in the car and Aelin kept driving under Rowan’s instructions “We are about to leave North Uist and go onto Benbecula, a very interested island joined to North and South Uist by Causeways and the whole island is pockmarked by lochs. It’s something quite spectacular.”  
Once they reached the second causeway Aelin stopped the car and very quickly she and Lysandra took some pictures. Back in the car an angry Rowan waited for her “You are not supposed to do that. That was a very dangerous manoeuvre.”  
“It was for a moment and there was no one coming anyway.”  
“That was a stupid thing to do. End of of the discussion. Now keep driving and at the junction there is a sign. Follow for _Eiliean Fhloddaidh_.”  
“The what?” She asked feeling stupid all of a sudden.  
“Just turn left at the junction, please.” His tone had a thick layer of annoyance. “Keep driving, pass the causeway and drive until you find the car park.”  
Five minutes later they arrived at destination, Aelin got off the car and slammed the door with a bit too much force. Rowan glared at her. Then grabbed her hand “Let’s go.”  
The four of them walked in silence for a little bit longer until Aelin spotted something moving on the rock “Are that…”  
“They are seals…” added Rowan with a big grin. “No screaming, you two. No touching, especially if there are pups. We keep our distance and admire them in silence.”  
They quietly moved closer and Aelin started squeezing Rowan’s hand “They are seals…” she whispered “They are adorable.” She looked at Lysandra and noted that her friend was in the same state of amazement as her.  
Rowan took out his camera and with the expertise of someone who had done it plenty of times he got closer without scaring away the animals. A moment later he noticed Aelin at his side. Her arms around his waist and her eyes full of joy and surprise. He took a picture of her while she was admiring the seals.  
It took him and Aedion a bit of time to convince their women they could not spend the day there and they had to keep going.  
They stopped again at another stunning location just after the causeway leading to South Uist, they had a quick coffee break in a lovely cafe then the two women did some shopping in two crafts shops.  
The second one was a place specialising in Hebridean jewellery and Rowan bought Aelin a simple necklace with a pendant as blue as her eyes and all the waters of the beaches she loved so much.  
Slowly they made their way south and Rowan had them stop at some archaeological sites. Aelin hugged a few more standing stones until they finally reached the pier in front of the causeway to Eriskay which Rowan explained was were they meant to go the following day to take the ferry to Barra.  
By the time they got back to the cottage they were all exhausted and after a nice meal, they all went to bed ready for their new adventure the following day.

The next morning was another early start as they were planning catching the first ferry out to Barra. Rowan had stated that he was the one to drive because he knew the road and they had a time issue at hand. Aelin yielded and let him drive.  
They reached their ferry in time and forty minutes later they docked in Ardmhor on the isle of Barra. Rowan kept driving and told them that they were going to a fun place.  
Aelin noticed the huge beach appearing in front of them and was ready for some excitement.  
Until Rowan parked in the small car park of what turned out to be an airport. Probably the smallest airport she had ever seen.  
“Let’s go.” Rowan took her hand and guided the group to a safe location.  
Aedion’s eyes were wide in surprise.  
“This is Barra airport. The only airport in the world where planes land on the sand.” Rowan checked something on his phone and Aelin was amazed how quickly he had learned how to use it. “A plane is due in, in half an hour.” They walked along what they discovered was called Traigh Mhor, which just meant Big beach. They all removed their shoes and walked in the water, until Rowan noticed the sound of a propeller plan approaching. Quickly they made their way to a safe spot, ready to admire the landing.  
“See the windsock? It means the airport is operating.” Rowan kept explaining “The runaways are under water at high tide so the schedule of the flights is very connected with the tides.”  
He moved the group off the beach while the plane was on its last leg of its approach.  
“Have you done this? Asked Aelin fascinated.  
Rowan nodded. “They only fly to Glasgow. And it can only operate by day.”  
Finally the plane landed and Aedion cheered “As an ex RAF pilot, this was awesome. I’d become a commercial pilot just to do this.”  
Rowan laughed.  
After the excitement, Rowan drove them all the way north to the top of Barra, and then they made their way back down and Aelin realised that Barra had one main road that was basically a circular around the island. Rowan took them to a few short walks until they eventually reached Castlebay, the main and only town on the island. They had lunch in one of the cozy cafes and in the afternoon they took a boat out to Kisimul castle. Back in town Aelin discovered a place that made toffee and she stocked up for life and Rowan made fun of her and her obsession for super sweet stuff. And to finish off the day Rowan took them to the gin distillery and they had a tour and Aedion bought two bottles for himself.  
Eventually they made it back home ending another long perfect day.  
Aelin was on the bed waiting for Rowan to come out of the shower and was flipping through the photos on his camera.  
“You took a lot of photo of me.” She said when he reappeared in his shorts and t-shirt ready for bed.  
He leaned forward and kissed her “I have seen these places a few times already. You are my favourite subject.”  
She put the camera down and a moment later he was hovering above her, caging her head between his arms, his head right above hers.  
He lowered himself and kissed her and Aelin moaned at the feeling of his body pressed on hers. Her kiss deepened and her legs locked around his lower back pushing his pelvis closer to her body.  
His hands traced her sides, sliding her t-shirt upward, exposing her breasts.  
The previous night they had gone a bit further in their cuddling and he had taken very seriously the idea of worshipping her girls.  
His mouth found its target and Aelin arched her back when his tongue flicked her hard peaks. Her hands fisted in his hair and pushed him even closer. And when his hand landed between her legs she had to restrain herself from a loud moan. His hand never actually touched skin but she was positive he could feel how wet she was. She could imagine his smirk, if it wasn’t that his face was buried in her chest doing wonderful despicable things. His hand sneaked under her shorts and stayed on top of her knickers. But the fabric was so thin that she could have been naked. His finger started rubbing in the exact spot where she wanted him and a shiver ran down her spine. Her back arched again, trying to find friction against his finger.  
She heard Rowan chuckle against her bare skin and his mouth sent her reeling.  
Damn, the man had skills.  
Eventually release came and Aelin had to bury her face against his shoulder to muffle the scream of undiluted pleasure that rippled through her. She felt her body shake and almost whimpered as she rode her high.  
Eventually she melted on the bed, Rowan lowered her t-shirt and took his place at her side, giving her a huge grin “I guess you will sleep very well tonight.”  
And that she did.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 is here.  
> Ten more and the epilogue and the story is over.  
> I have some lovely moments already written down as drafts and i swear there is a lot of fluff coming.
> 
> The wee holiday with Lys and Aedion is almost over.  
> Aelin and Rowan share a powerful moment at Callanish.  
> Then something happens and fate throws them together a bit more.  
> And they finally go on a date.
> 
> I hope you will all love it.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who had left kudos or comments. You are amazing <3

The next morning a sense of sadness descended on the quartet. They had a quiet breakfast, all moping because their small break was over.  
They checked-out of the cottage a bit later and they made their way to the ferry terminal to go back on Harris and Lewis.  
Once they were back on the island, Rowan, who was back at the wheel decided to drive them up via the Golden road. He hoped that the beautiful road trip would raise the spirits up a little bit. Even Aelin was a bit down.  
At one of the junctions Rowan slowed down a lot after a big sign alerting them of possible farm traffic. He hoped they would encounter some. He knew it would definitely cheer up the two women.  
His lips curled into a smile when in the distance he spotted a big flock of sheep heading their way. He pulled over the car and relaxed.  
Lysandra squealed and jumped off the car as it got surrounded by the animals and Aelin joined her a moment later. The smiles where back on their faces and Rowan realised he would do anything to see Aelin with such a bright smile.  
“It’s like the picture you sent me.” The dark-haired woman exclaimed all excited and took out her phone to take as many pictures as possible.  
The two men had exited the car as well and were now leaning against the hood and enjoying the view of their happy women.  
“I guess for you it’s not that unusual.” Commented Aedion admiring Lysandra.  
“No, they can be daily occurrences for locals.” Then he stared at Aelin “but look at how happy they are.” And his voice had an edge of softness.  
Aedion noticed Lysandra trying to pet a sheep and laughed. He took a few photo of her.  
“Thank you for all this.” The man turned to Rowan “Lysandra has suffered quite a lot after Aelin left. I haven’t seen her this happy in a while.” Rowan smiled back at the man and from how he talked about Lysandra he realised he loved the woman deeply. “And I know Aelin is not coming back and on some level Lysandra knows as well but still has to process it.”  
“Thank you for looking after her.” replied Rowan, his gaze back on Aelin “When she arrived she was a mess. We both were to be honest. But now she is happy.”  
“I don’t know what magic you pulled man, but I have known Aelin for a very long time and I have never seen her this happy. Not even when she was married to officer asshole.”  
“She told me about him.”  
“I swear I had a daily need to punch the bastard. You can’t marry someone and then decide you can only love some parts of her. When you commit to someone you cannot pick and choose which part you love.”  
Rowan growled.  
“And the divorce. The bastard had been cheating on her for months. Had lied to her and told her he was working night shifts when he was screwing the detective bitch. He lied, he hurt her in a way that was unspeakable. He crushed her. I offered willingly to help her move to Lys’ place. I wanted her as far way as possible from that son of a bitch.” Rowan was shocked by the ferocity with which Aedion defended Aelin.  
“And before you ask, no, nothing ever happened between us. She is a very dear friend of mine. I love her like a sister.”  
Rowan place a hand on Aedion’s shoulder “Thank you.” Was all he said.  
Once the road was clear again Aelin and Lysandra went back to their men “what were you talking about?” Aelin had noticed the two deep in conversation and she was glad to see that they had become good friends in that few days away.  
“Aedion was telling me of his time in the RAF.”  
Aelin smiled and Rowan was happy she believed the little lie.

They continued the drive and they stopped at the small Harris Tweed place Aelin had discovered and Lysandra spent almost a fortune and even bought a present to Aedion as a thank you.  
Eventually they crossed back into Lewis and Rowan took the road to Callanish and Aelin was giddy. That was her favourite place.  
Once they got there they noticed there were only a few tourists. Aelin took Lysandra’s hand and guided her friend to the stones while telling her all the info she had absorbed from the book Elias had given her.  
They guys reached them a moment later and joined them near the stones at the circle.  
Rowan grabbed Aelin to him and he moved to the centre of the circle. He had imagined the moment he would be at Callanish with her a million times. He knew she loved the place and for him, being pagan and all, the site had a special meaning.  
Aedion grabbed Lysandra and the two decided to do some exploring on their own and Rowan for a moment was glad as he wanted to have a moment alone with Aelin.   
He pulled her to his chest and his arms closed around her.  
“ _'s ann leatsa a tha mo chridhe gu brath”_ he whispered to her ear and Aelin wished he would speak Gaelic more often even if she could not understand him. His voice changed and it made her heart race furiously. He placed her hand on his heart “ _gu brath._ ” He said again and kissed her “On this sacred soil I claim you, _mo chridhe_. ' _s ann leatsa a tha mo chridhe gu brath.”_  
And she squeezed him as tight as she could. She had no idea what he was saying but she could feel his love. She looked up at him “I claim you Rowan Whitethorn, on this sacred soil I declare my love to you.” She said and felt horrible. She wanted to say something poetic. Something that sounded just as beautiful as what he said, whatever it was, but that’s all she could manage.  
But he seemed happy, his hands went to her head and caressed it with gentleness and she felt a shift in their relationship. As if they had just taken a step much bigger than having sex a just a level below getting married. His heart raced just as much as hers.

Rowan could not let go of her. He had just told her something powerful in a magical place like Callanish. He felt as if he had just proposed to her. But she was his and he was hers. And he meant what he had said to her. His heart was hers forever. In the past few days he had realised that there was no turning back. This woman had entered his life and now he could not think to exist without her. And he thought about the Runrig song he sang to her on the beach _There is no way without you._  
Lysandra and Aedion came back and for a moment he was annoyed. He wanted a little bit more time with her and Aelin seemed to be of the same opinion when she did not move from her position.  
“This place is amazing. And I can’t believe is over 5000 years old.”  
Rowan nodded and then Lysandra announced they were going to the visitor centre because she had to play tourist and buy a fridge magnet.  
Rowan kissed Aelin’s head who had not moved from her position even when her friends were here.  
“Are you okay?”  
She lifted her head and he noticed she was crying. Shit what did he do?  
“Hey…” with his finger he removed her tears “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing,” she sobbed “You said something super amazing to me and I replied in a very lousy way and all I wanted to tell is that I love you. I want you in my life. For ever. For always. Because there is no way without you and I can’t think about another day without you at my side.”  
He kissed her. He lifted her until her feet left the ground and kissed in a way that would tell her that he felt the same way.  
“Better?” He asked when he put her down and she gave him a grin.  
“Come, let’s go and buy you your tacky fridge magnet.” And hand in hand they walked to the visitor centre.

Later in the afternoon they reached Butt of Lewis and their last stop in their adventure.  
At that beautiful place Aelin took Lysandra aside. It was time. After what happened at Callanish with Rowan she knew her decision was now final and there was no turning back for her. Which meant she had to tell her friend. They sat down at the edge of the cliff and Aelin took Lysandra’s hand.  
“Lys…” Aelin was now staring at the sea that over there was always angry, no matter how calm the wind. “I am not coming back to London. A part from you and Aedion, there is nothing left there for me. I can’t step back in my old life. Not after here. And…” she took a deep breath “I can’t leave Rowan. I don’t want to.”  
Lysandra smiled at her friend “I knew from the first moment I saw you again.” She replied squeezing the hand back “you were so happy that I knew you’d never come back. Why would you? And when I saw you with Rowan and I had the final proof.” She kissed Aelin’s cheek “I want to be invited at the wedding.”  
Aelin laughed “you will be the first one to know.”  
The two women hugged fiercely “I love you.” They said to each other.  
Half an hour later they were all back in Stornoway and Rowan had dropped them off at Aelin’s place.  
When it was time to part Aelin felt a sudden pang of sadness. She didn’t want to stay away from Rowan.  
“Come and say hi if you are in town,” he said to her, hugging her “I’ll miss you.”  
She was going to spend time with her friends, but Rowan had to go back to the shop and she was going to miss him.  
“Leave the other women alone, I am your only bookworm.”  
She felt him grin against her lips.  
“I’ll behave.”

Two weeks had passed and Lysandra and Aedion had to go back home and Rowan knew Aelin was going to be in a foul mood so he had prepared a task for her to keep her mind off things. He needed a revamp of the sci-fi section and he left the task to her knowing she would love it.  
She told him she was coming in at nine when he opened but it was past ten and there was no sign of her and he was getting worried. He also had no text or missed calls from her.  
It was almost eleven when she walked into the shop and he knew something bad had happened.   
She walked to him and sat down on her chair.  
“What happened?”  
She did not reply and instead she gave him a letter which he took and read it.  
“Are you kidding me?”  
“Nope.” She replied totally dejected “my landlord is selling the house and I have a month to move out.” She sighed “I spent the morning looking for other places but there is nothing available, unless I want to buy, which at the moment I can’t do. So, yeah I am in deep trouble. If I don’t find anything I am on the street.”  
“No you are not.” He said to her and turned his gaze to her “I have a spare bedroom. You can stay at my place. My house is big enough for two and for all your books.”  
Aelin jumped off the chair and into his arms “You are joking.”  
“Why would I? You need a place where to stay and I have it. Problem solved.” He was being very pragmatic but his heart was racing at the idea.  
“You will have me around all the time, Rowan. All the time.”  
“And?”  
Aelin huffed and lifted her hands “Just checking that you are sure of what you are getting into.” She kissed him “But I am so very grateful.”  
“Is my bedroom big?” She asked feeling excitement rise.  
“It’s normal.” He replied continuing working on what he was doing.  
“Will I have space for my books?”  
“I can squeeze them in.”  
“Ro?”  
“What?” Exasperation in his voice.  
“Are you ignoring me or the computer is sexier than me?”  
With a very slow motion he finally turned “Fireheart, some people have work to do.”  
“Fine. You are grumpy.” And she pinched his buttocks.  
Rowan turned quickly and glared at her for a second then exhaled deeply “We can move things on Sunday. Have everything prepared and boxed and on Sunday I will help you. We have two cars so it should be quite quick.” His tone flat.  
She threw her arms around his neck “You are wonderful.”

Ten minutes later she was back to work all happy again and Rowan had a smile on his face. They were going to live together and he could not contain his happiness at having her around all day.  
“By the way… the sci-fi section needs a revamp. Fancy playing a bit?”  
“Hell yeah, Aelin to the rescue.”  
By the end of the day she had redone not just the sci-fi display but also two more bookcases, explaining that they needed a bit of a spruce up as well and Rowan had let her. Her display were working and his sales had definitely increased. According to Aelin his Facebook page was being successful especially since he had started posting reviews and recommendation.  
“And again, ladies and gentleman, bow to the Queen.”  
In the distance she heard Rowan scoff.  
“You have any problems?” She walked to him wiggling her finger at him  
“No m’lady I could never tell my Queen she has a very high esteem of herself.”  
She grinned and walked to him and placed a kiss on his wicked mouth.  
“Ro?”  
“Yes, menace.”  
She snuggled and took a deep breath “There is there is a sci fi festival at An Lanntair this week and tonight they are showing Star Wars episode IV. Fancy coming with me?”  
Rowan was silent for a moment.  
“I am coming with you. But just because we are watching the original trilogy. I refuse to watch the new stuff.”  
Aelin laughed “Oh I’d never do that. For me only the three original episodes exist.”  
“You are my girl.”  
“Will… you know. Be okay? With Lyria?”  
Rowan gave her a squeeze “I will be fine.”  
She looked up at him with a very mischievous grin “It’s warm, I can wear a very slutty dress and show her who is the stick.”  
Rowan laughed “Just not too slutty. People talk around here.”  
“And say what? Rowan Whitethorn is dating the hot chick from London? Like I care.”  
He ran a hand through her hair “This chick from London is hot, though.” He grinned.  
“We can also have dinner together. Have a date you know.” He then added.  
A huge smile appeared on her face “I’d love that very much.”  
“So if we are going on a date, does it mean we are officially dating? Are we putting a label on it?” She leaned on the counter with her elbows and stared at him.  
“We can put one label if you want. We can say that we are dating.” He offered her while filing away some of the invoices he had just finished to reconcile.  
“But we are not boyfriends and girlfriend.” She looked at him.  
“I prefer a Fireheart and her Buzzard.”  
Aelin grabbed his face and kissed him deeply “I prefer it so much more” and brushed his hair “And if someone asks us what is means we will tell them to mind their own business and just let us enjoy our relationship how we want.”  
He had his eyes closed and his his face in an expression of pure bliss while Aelin kept caressing his head. Aelin even thought she heard him purr in delight. She could not keep her hands off him. She always needed to have some kind of contact with him and she was happy that he allowed it.  
The door opened and they broke apart quickly. She went to the customer and he continued his job at the computer while keeping an eye on he. He could not believe himself. He had just offered her to go and live with him. Last time he had done that it did not end well and a part of him was worried. They relationship was going well and all of a sudden her was terrified he had just done a stupid thing.  
But then he looked at her again and the rational part of his brain told him that she was not Lyria and Aelin was seriously in love with him.  
He sighed and hoped he was right.  
She came back walking with her usual swagger and with her hips pushed him away “I need to order a book.” And she started playing at the computer and Rowan was impressed how quickly she had learned all the other aspects of the job. She had been an amazing help and knowing he could keep the shop open when he was going to the school was an incredible relief.  
“Who gave you permission to do that?” He joked.  
“You did. Now let me finish before I make a mistake and then you shout at me.”  
He pulled her braid and left her alone with her task.

Later that evening they had finally gone home and now Aelin was trying to decide what to wear for her date with Rowan. She had texted Lysandra all excited and her friend’s reply was _something that will make him regret that you are in a public place and not in his bed._  
The night was warm so she decided to wear her blue dress. It was very ‘50s in style with a nice flowing skirt, and sleeveless. It was one of her favourite. And it was also not slutty at all. She put some light make up on and decided to leave her hair down. it was always in a braid during the day, but she wanted to fully shock Rowan. She grabbed a jacket and left the house. They were meeting outside the restaurant. Her stomach was in knots by the excitement. She hadn’t felt like this on her first date with Chaol.   
When she arrived at the restaurant she spotted Rowan in the distance. It was almost impossible not to notice him. And she stopped. Damn, the man really was sex on two legs. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a white shirt under a green jumper that somehow matched his eyes. It was simple but on him it was a dream.  
She swallowed and walked to him.

Rowan had spotted her in an instant. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress that hugged her curves beautifully. But what caused him almost an heart attack was her hair. It was down. He had always seen her in a braid and never realised how long it was. It hung on her shoulder and it look like gold. She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen and he was positive he now had a stupid grin painted on his face.  
“Hey,” he said, walking to her. An arm went around her waist and he pulled her to him for a quick kiss.   
“You taste of strawberry.”  
“Lipgloss,”Aelin said and Rowan kissed her again.  
“Now you removed it all.”  
“I have no regrets and I plan on doing it again.” He smiled at her and then run his fingers through her hair.  
“I love this. Very, very, much.”  
“Shall we go in?”  
At the restaurant they had a great meal and Rowan told himself he should have asked her out before. But her situation was a mess before, their status confused. Now that things were finally moving in the correct direction he was planning on remedy on all those omissions and treat her out to a meal more often.  
Once they were done they walked to An Lanntair hand in hand and chatting away happily. At the community centre they stopped outside and Aelin noticed his indecision.  
“Ro, we don’t have to do it. We can go for a walk and then get ice cream. We really don’t.”  
He kissed her “I want to. It’s time I face it. I love this place and I am tired of avoiding because of her.”  
With his hand in hers they walked in and once inside they joined the queue for the tickets.   
Aelin had noticed a few women staring at Rowan and she had promptly glared at them marking the territory.  
His arm went tight around her waist and she was petty enough to turn to those women and smirk.  
“Two tickets please for Star Wars,”Aelin heard Rowan said and she noticed the woman at the counter. Lyria’s gaze was fixed on her.  
“Perhaps you want to keep an eye on the computer.” Aelin added and her arm went around Rowan’s waist in a possessive manner. And she celebrated a little victory when she noticed annoyance in the woman’s eyes.  
“I didn’t know you liked this kind of movie.” Lyria’s stare was now on Rowan “Do you want your usual seat at the back of the cinema? Although I doubt your friend here has the guts to have sex in a cinema.”  
“I have a thing called decency.” Aelin spat back now fully sick and tired by this woman.  
“Cash or card?”  
“Card,” growled Rowan.  
“Here are your tickets.” Then her gaze was on Aelin again “Bye stick.”  
Rowan turned furiously “Don’t you dare insult her again. Ever.”  
He grabbed Aelin’s hand and they walked to the screen.  
“I never had sex in a cinema.” He growled “I always get a sit at the back because I am tall and I don’t want to be in people’s way.”  
She stopped and turned him to her “I know. I guessed. I could not picture you like the kind of guy to have sex in a public place. Grabbing my leg and some light touching… yes. Full on sex no.”  
He kissed her and they went to their seats. They were finally comfy when Aelin realised she forgot the pop corn and her drink so she left him alone to go and get her provisions.  
She went to the kiosk and got her food and got back to Rowan.  
“Was dinner not enough?”  
Aelin shook her head “dinner was perfect but I can’t watch a movie in a cinema without pop corn.”  
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.  
The movie started and Aelin’s head ended up leaning on his shoulder. Then she grabbed Rowan’s hand and placed on her thigh. He was still to start with then his thumb slowly started tracing circles on the inner part. She smiled and parted her legs gently. Their row was empty and the one in front was the same. Everyone was seated toward the front. He shifted more to her side and his hand now was completely under her dress. She concentrated on the movie while his hand was doing wonders on her. Again, he never touched skin, but still he managed to make her tremble.  
At the same time her hand sneaked at his side and between his legs. It was time to return the favour.  
“I’ll stop before the end of the movie.” She whispered in his ear when he tried to stop her hand. She palmed him quite hard and Rowan pretended to cough to hide the moan that surely was about to escape his mouth.  
As she promised she had stopped before the end of the movie to give him time to compose himself and he had been a gentleman. He had mostly caressed her thighs and gave a few very light brushes between her legs. He was not the kind of person to do such things in public. And she loved him even more. She had restrained herself as well and just brushed her hand up and down enough to tease him a bit. It had been fun.  
When they left the cinema he had a big grin on his face “Still up for that ice cream?”  
She nodded eagerly.  
They walked to the ice cream parlour and Aelin’s mouth watered at the lovely selection of flavours.  
“This is the best place where to get ice cream.”  
“Please tell me you eat ice cream.” she looked up at him.  
He smiled “Only fruity flavours.”  
“This one is on me.” She noticed the protest in his eyes but she stopped him “No, you paid for dinner and did not allow me to give you money for the movie. This is on me.”  
“Fine, Fireheart.” And he placed his hands on her shoulder.  
They got their ice cream and they started walking along the marina and then off to Lews castle grounds. They found a bench and sat down and ate their ice cream in silence, looking at the boats rolling in the water.  
“Did you enjoy our first date?” Rowan looked at her.  
“Very much,” she finished her ice cream and then Rowan laughed.  
“What?” But he did not reply and kissed her.  
“You had chocolate moustache.” And his smile was wicked.  
Aelin began laughing and he stared at her confused.  
“Nothing.” She replied at his face.  
“Come on,” with his fingers he began tickling her.  
“No, it’s embarrassing.”  
“More than having chocolate moustache like a five years old?”  
Aelin sighed “Fine, but I warned you.” She took a breath and fought the embarrassment “I… one of my fantasies involves me… hem… covering your body in chocolate and lick you clean.” Her face was buried in her hands and avoided looking at him. He grabbed her hands and pulled them away “Considering is you, I am not surprise you want to lick something sweet off me. Want to dip me in whip cream as well? I can also have a few marshmallow stuck in my mouth.”  
And they laughed hard.  
His arm went around her shoulder and he pulled her close to him and she nestled in the crook of his arm, her hand on his chest.  
“With Chaol there was chemistry but we never… had adventures. It was always only in bed. I couldn’t even convince him in the shower. I think that’s why I have stupid fantasies.”  
He squeezed her “Lyria was… well, she was the one that once suggested sex in a cinema. She was always suggesting places where it would not have been a good idea. That’s why she calls me boring.”  
“I don’t think I could either. I am all for trying all sorts of places in my house and all sort of positions but out of the privacy of my house I don’t think I could.” She explained “probably in a wood or a lake if I knew there was no one around for kilometres.” She looked at him “I guess we are both boring.”  
“Never.” His other arm went around her waist and Aelin draped one leg over his.  
“Did you wait with her as well?”  
Rowan sighed “No. I was younger and horny and she was my first girlfriend. I was eager to get some experience. Most of the guys at my age already had plenty. I didn’t. I was too busy between uni and swimming to add girl as well. Although I had a huge fan club at uni.”  
“That I can imagine.” She laughed.  
“But no, with her the first few times were a disaster. I knew the basics but I had no idea how to please a woman.”  
“I would say that you have honed that skill pretty nicely.” Aelin’s hand on his chest tightened.  
“I… had a few before Chaol. Too many probably. They were not relationships. More one night stands. I always blamed it to the stress due to med school. It was a good way to let out steam.” She confessed and hoped he would not change his mind about her “Lys and I would go to a bar and see who could score the hottest guy. And now with hindsight I regret it.” She felt Rowan kiss her head and took it as a good sign.  
Eventually Aelin stood and grabbed his hands “Let’s go, I need to stretch my legs.”  
They walked a bit longer and kept chatting and Rowan in the end walked back to what was going to be her home for only two more days.  
“Thank you for tonight,” she snuggled to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her “I had a great night.”  
He looked down to her “I had fun too.”  
He kissed her and she pulled back.  
“Oidhche mhath, mo chridhe” she said to him.  
He pulled in for a kiss “Good night to you as well, Fireheart.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 17 for you all.
> 
> It's finally moving in day and they have some fun and their relationships takes another step forward.
> 
> Rowan gets into an accident and he finds himself married :) 
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this.

Moving day had arrived and gone. Aelin had been sad about leaving her house but the idea of living with Rowan was far more exciting. In the end they did manage to move everything on the Saturday. After Lysandra had gone back to London, Aelin had asked her to ship all of her boxes there and that felt like the final step. She was definitely not going back. This was it. This was her new life. Hopefully with Rowan in it.  
Moving boxed had been exhausting and now it was Sunday and she was staring at the mess that was her bedroom and was trying to decide where to start to tackle the indecent amount of boxes.  
Luckily Rowan had solved the book problem for her. Her thirty five boxes of books had joined his extra book storage in the attic. He had joked that he might eventually turn the place in a library and Aelin had responded telling him that it was a brilliant idea.  
She was busy unpacking her clothes when Rowan’s head popped in her room announcing that lunch was ready.  
“You are wonderful.” She joined him in the kitchen isle and was ready to tuck in in another one of his wonderful meals.  
“Did your aunt teach you to cook?”  
“She did.” He answered without elaborating any further. He had briefly mentioned once that he had lost his parents but never expanded on the subject and she was not going to press him on a topic that was clearly going to cause him pain.  
She ate the food with a happy face and Rowan thought he would be happy to cook for her forever just to watch the smile of satisfaction painted on her face.  
After they polished their meal, Aelin offered to help clean. It seemed only fair. Once done she went back to her room and deal with the boxes that were still staring at her. All of her clothes were spread on the bed and she was trying to divide them into categories. At the bottom of a box she had also found a couple of her old scrubs and nostalgia had hit her hard.  
One box was full of knick knacks and she pushed it aside. Definitely low priority. One last box had pictures frames to be hanged on the walls. Most of them were of her and Lysandra but at the bottom she had found one of her and Chaol that had survived the purge. She threw the thing on the bed and went back to her mission: organise her wardrobe.  
A few hours later she was half way through her boxes and she had not noticed Rowan leaning against the door staring at her with a half smile.  
Aelin was sitting on the floor and seemed defeated.  
“Unpacking not going well?”  
“I hate it. I never realised how much stuff I had. When I packed everything I had Aedion and Lysandra and all we did was just dump stuff in boxes. They were trying to get me out of that house as soon as possible.  
Rowan sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes caught the photo abandoned on it. He took it “Is this him?”  
“We took that the night we got engaged. I have scrubs on because he proposed at the hospital where we met. That photo survived the purge. It needs to be destroyed.”  
Rowan noticed the pain in her eyes. No matter how much she hated her ex husband, he could tell that whatever they had it had mattered to her and she was still hurting about it.  
He put the photo down and noticed a black dress. He leaned forward and grabbed it out of curiosity.  
“I bought for a charity event. Wore it once and never had the chance to use it again.” She explained when she saw him staring at it in curiosity.  
In reality Rowan was imagining her in that dress. All of a sudden he was glad he was sitting down.  
Aelin saw his stare and grabbed the dress from his hands, a wicked smile on her face “Stay there,” she told him, leaving him alone in the bedroom.  
When she came back ten minutes later Rowan noticed her and almost had a heart attack. She was stunning.  
The dress hugged her curves perfectly, it had a cut on one side exposing her leg up to the knee. It was sleeveless and the top of the corset reached just under her collarbone.  
She turned around and showed him the whole thing and Aelin noticed desire burning in his eyes.  
“What do you think?”  
He took a step to her and his hands were on her waist “That I don’t want you to wear this dress outside. I want this view all for myself.” His voice was rough and a bit breathless.  
Aelin laughed and kissed him and Rowan pushed her against the wardrobe and pinned her there. Her hands went to his butt and pushed him closer to her body.  
His hand sneaked through the cut of the dress and cupped her butt and gasped when he realised she was not wearing anything underneath.  
“You will be the death of me.” He breathed against her neck where he was depositing hot kisses making her shiver.  
“Against a wall is another one of my fantasies…” she whispered in his ear and she felt his hand move in between her legs.  
“Good.” He added locking his mouth on her “it’s another one of my special skills.” Rowan deepened the kiss, her mouth opening to him. Her tongue gently brushing against his.  
His fingers slipped between her legs and gently brushed her sensitive spot. Aelin moaned and arched her back against him.  
Then all of a sudden the magic broke as he pulled away from her, kissed her forehead and walked away.  
Aelin’s growl of frustration was loud “Whitethorn!” Aelin shouted following to the living room “You can’t.” She groaned, frustration now rising high. What was his problem? “You always do that, you tease me, you get me all hot and then you leave.”  
Rowan gave her a tight smile and took a step closer, his mouth to her ear “So that when I can finally have you it will be amazing.”  
“And very short.” She lashed back “Because I will be so horny that I will have an orgasm at your first touch and it will last seconds.” Her eyes now fixed on his.  
“Who said that we can’t have a second a third and why not a fourth time? I have stamina.”  
Aelin growled and ran back to her room and slammed the door quite hard.  
She groaned for another few minutes while she changed back in her comfortable clothes. “Damn he is infuriating.” She threw the dress in one of the drawers and lay down on the bed staring at the ceiling. She wanted him so badly that she was sure she was going to combust very soon.  
She took a deep breath and then got up again and finished to tidy up everything.  
An hour later the boxes were finally gone and she had finished decorating it with her stuff and the pictures and eventually it started to feel like her place. She looked at the place and smiled happily at the final job.  
She picked up the flattened boxes and left the room. Rowan was in the living room reading a book on the sofa and she ignored him as she passed behind him and headed outside to bin the boxes.  
When she came back Rowan was looking at her.  
“All done?”  
She stormed to her bedroom and slammed the door again.  
Later on when she was sitting on her bed reading, she heard a knock on the door and Rowan’s voice telling her that dinner was ready.  
She gave in and joined him in the kitchen not without giving him a cold stare.  
“I am sorry,” he said.  
She sighed “it’s okay.”  
He gave offered her a plate with some food “I didn’t mean to piss you off this much.”  
“I am not.”  
He scoffed “Yes, you are.”  
She slammed the fork on the table “Fine. I am. I am, because damn it but I want you, okay? It’s been driving me nuts.” She finally let out her frustration “And I get it, we have a promise and I will wait but this is new. Chaol never made me feel like this. None of the guys before him did. You do. You set my body on fire with just a touch and all I want is for you to slam me against a wall and fuck me so hard that I forget my name.”  
“I am really good at that…” he smirked and Aelin’s heart lightened. She could not be mad at him. Not when he smiled at her like that.  
“Someone has a high opinion of himself.”  
“I definitely can make you forget your name. To be honest, I am positive I can do that just with a kiss.” He kept eating never averting his gaze from her.  
“You can do that by just be beside me sometimes.” She admitted. That’s how mad about him she was.  
“Dinner is lovely, by the way. Thank you.” She finally conceded.  
He smiled at her warmly. And like that their little fight was over.  
“So, what do you do in the evening?”  
“Read mostly. As you can see I don’t have a tv.”  
“I have a laptop with Netflix.” Explained Aelin and he looked at her with confusion.  
“Netflix is a website where you can watch movies and series. I pay a small amount every month. They add loads of content very regularly.” She took a bite of the chocolate cake she was sure came from his aunt. “We can watch something together.”  
“I guess we can do that.”  
“Perfect.”

After dinner Aelin had offered to clean up the kitchen since he had cooked. Once she was done she joined him in the living room and brought her laptop with her. She sat beside him, a blanket on their legs and the pc on it. She snuggled close and started browsing Netflix. “We can watch Brooklyn nine nine. It’s one of my favourites. It’s a bunch of detectives in New York. It’s hilarious but has some great storylines as well.”  
“We can watch something new. You don’t have to rewatch it just for me.”  
Aelin turned to him “I rewatch it regularly. I love it so much.”  
“Okay.” He said kissing her head.  
Ten minutes later she noticed that Rowan was actually quite involved “I like her.” He said pointing at Detective Santiago.  
“She is awesome.”  
“Those two are ending up together. I bet on it.” He commented pointing at Santiago and Peralta and Aelin squeezed his hand.  
“I like the new captain.”  
Aelin looked at him but his stare was fixed on the screen and she loved his relaxed face. Her hand caressed his hair and his eyes closed at the contact. Then trailed down and traced his ear and finally placed a very brief kiss on his neck.  
“She is hot. Santiago I mean.” And Aelin laughed.  
They binged watched the first season that Aelin decided to call it a night. She was tired from all the moving.  
“We can continue tomorrow.”  
He nodded happily.  
“Good night, my heart.” She said kissing him.

Their home arrangements slowly set into a regular rhythm and Aelin adapted to his way of living. She still felt like a guest and she wanted to make sure she was not disrupting his life too much. He would cook and she would clean the kitchen. She would help him with chores around the house.  
In their free time Rowan took upon him the task of teaching her to cook. They began with something very simple. Aelin was a quick learner and she also managed to prepare lunch a couple of times without burning down the house.

One night he was in bed and sleep was evading her. She tossed a few times and then her arm extended to the empty side of her bed. She sighed. Since she and Rowan had gotten back from their little holiday she had missed his presence at her side at night. His arms around her and his warmth.  
She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep..  
“Damn,” she groaned in frustration throwing the sheets at the bottom of the bed. She sat up and decided to get up.  
After pacing for a few minutes in her bedroom she walked out of the room and reached his.  
“Rowan?”  
“Are you okay?” He asked switching the light on and sitting up in his bed.  
His hair was tousled from sleep and she thought he looked sexy.  
“I can’t sleep.” She said not moving from her spot on the doorstep. She would not move until he gave her permission.  
“Come here.” He said patting the bed beside him.  
She smiled and joined him. He lay down again and she snuggled against him and smiled when she felt his arms wrap around her, one around her chest and the other lower around the waist. His head tucked in the crook of her neck.  
She turned to face him “Since our trip I miss not having you beside me at night.”  
“Do you now?” He huffed against her skin.  
Aelin nodded and squeezed closer. Gods it felt so good to be in his arms.  
Rowan sighed “Do you want to sleep with me?” Then he heard how his sentenced sounded like “I mean you can stay in my bed and sleep in here if you like it.”  
Aelin looked up at him and smiled “I’d love to.” A kiss on his nose “But I am leaving my stuff in my room. I can’t move my things again.”  
“It sounds like a plan.”

From that night Aelin had officially moved in his bedroom. She had finally started sleeping soundly again. They had added another milestone in their relationship.

It was of the weekly mornings when Rowan had gone to teach his swimming classes and she was in charge of the bookshop and she was loving it.  
Aelin looked at her watch for the billionth time in the past ten minutes. Rowan was late. He would always come back at the same time but that day he was late. Over an hour late now and panic began to settle in her. He hadn’t texted her and that was unusual as well. He had always texted even if he was going to be five minutes late to open the shop. Which he knew it was not going to be an issue since he had given her a set of keys a while ago.  
She paced and could not concentrate on anything. In the end she caved and phoned him. The phone rang a few times. She was about to hang up when he answered.  
“Rowan Whitethorn, were the fuck are you?”  
A woman’s voice replied at the other end and Aelin’s heart started racing. Why was another woman answering his phone? He would not cheat on her.  
“Hello?” Said the voice on the other side and Aelin woke up.  
“Yes, who are you? Where is Rowan?”  
“My name is Dr Jamieson. Are you a relative of Mr Whitethorn?” And she almost felt sick. She had done plenty of those phone calls to know that it was not a good sign. She sat down on the chair behind the counter and placed her free hand on her knee to stop it from shaking. “Mr Whitethorn has been admitted to the hospital following a car accident.”  
Aelin’s brain stopped working. She could not think and definitely she could not breath.  
“Is… he…”  
“We should discuss it here at the hospital. Are you a relative?”  
Aelin froze. She knew hospital policy and they were not allowed to disclose the situation of the patient to someone who was not family. And they weren’t and a roommate was not in the list of the people allowed. Fuck. Her brain was too shocked to think properly.  
“I am his wife.” Her mouth uttered and she froze “I am on my way there. Is he still in the A&E?”  
“He has been taken for a CT scan. When you arrive ask for me.”  
Aelin thanked the woman and took a deep breath and coerced her brain to start working again. Quickly she closed the shop and went back home to get her car.  
Within ten minutes she was at the hospital, dropped the car at the parking and ran as fast as she could to the A&E.  
At the reception she asked for Dr. Jamieson and to tell the woman that Mrs Whitethorn was here. She had to remember her act.  
Five minutes later the doctor arrived and shook her hand.  
“How is he? Can I see him? Is he out of the CT?”  
“Mrs Whitethorn, your husband will be back from the CT exam quite soon. He was involved in a frontal crash. The paramedics found him unconscious and his head took a hit. We believe it was from rebound from the seat belts. Very likely his head hit the window pretty hard, that’s why the CT scan. He has few bruises on his ribs and torso due to the seat belts. Nothing is broken but he will be sore for a while.”  
“Have you checked his abdomen for internal injuries? Are his legs fine?” Her A&E training kicked in and she went through all the possible injuries from such an accident.  
The woman in front of her looked at her with the type of look that Aelin used to give to family members that tried to tell her how to do her job.  
Aelin sighed “I am a cardio thoracic surgeon. I have worked in an A&E long enough and seen enough accidents…”  
“I had a feeling. You did not ask the usual questions family members ask.” The doctor gave her a faint smile “I guess he will be in his room by now. If the CT comes back clear you will be able to take him home tonight but he will need to be at rest for a while.”  
“Thank you.”  
The doctor accompanied her to his room and she stopped outside for a moment. She took a deep breath and finally opened the door of his room.  
A sigh of relief left her when she saw him awake.  
“Hey…” she ran to him and kissed him while tears ran down her cheeks. She had been terrified.  
He tried to hug her back but his body protested at the idea of him moving.  
“Don’t move. You bruised your chest and your ribs.” Then she looked at the cut on his head and noted that luckily was not deep enough to require stitches. Gently she kissed it “No stitches.” And she sat down on the bed beside him and took his hand in hers.  
Dr Jamieson entered the room while she was kissing his forehead.  
“Mrs Whitethorn, your husband’s CT is clear. He has a very mild concussion and might experience some headache. If…”  
“If he gets dizzy, has double vision, gets confused or struggles to stay awake bring him back to the A&E. I know the drill.”  
The woman smiled and nodded “I will have your discharge paper ready in an hour.” And she left and Rowan was staring at her with wide eyes.  
“I can explain,” she said knowing full well the reason of that stare “Hospital policy is that they can’t disclose information to non family members. So I had to lie. I couldn’t say I was your sister because well, it was not believable so… my only option was to say that I was your wife. I am sorry.”  
Rowan started laughing but he stopped when his ribs caused him pain “It’s fine, I think it’s cute.”  
“I think it’s the concussion speaking.” And she kissed him again “I was terrified.” She took a deep breath “although before that I was mad at you for being late and not telling me anything. Then I phoned you and a woman picked up. Until she told she was a doctor I thought you were cheating on me.”  
He leaned his forehead against hers “Never. I would never do such a horrible thing to you.”  
“We are going home soon, and once we do, you will have to listen to me.”  
He tried to reply but she put a finger on his lips “No. I don’t care. I am the doctor and you will do as I say. You will stay at home and rest. I will look after the bookshop. And this is not open for debate.”  
“Looks like I got myself a very stern wife.” He kissed her.  
“Jokes aside, how do you feel?”  
“A bit of a headache and very sore.” He leaned back on the pillow.  
“How did you get in an accident. You are such a careful driver.”  
He flinched “I left the school, at a roundabout an idiot with a van did not respect his turn and I drove straight into him. The car—”  
“Shh… we’ll deal with the car later.”  
An hour later the doctor came back with the discharge paper “I prescribed some painkillers. He will need rest. No work for at least three days.”  
“Thank you doctor.” And the woman left again.  
“Come, let’s get you back in your clothes.”  
Rowan pushed his legs off the bed and Aelin helped him remove his hospital gown.  
Of course he was naked under it and she almost gasped at his bare body.  
“Dear wife, never seen your husband naked?” He joked and she tried to keep her eyes up. As a doctor she had seen naked men plenty of times, but seeing him was different.  
“Ok, let’s try to put the t-shirt on. This may hurt.”  
And it did. Because of his bruises he was in pain and lifting his arms was not an easy task.  
“Slowly…” they finally managed and he decided to ignore the hoodie. It was not cold outside. Then she helped him with his underwear and trousers. He leaned against her and she tried to hide her massive blush when she caught a peek by mistake. Gods, the man was perfect.  
“How is your shoulder?”  
“It’s fine.”  
Aelin looked at him with the expression of a doctor who caught his patient lie.  
“Look.” He moved it in circles and she noticed that he was moving it easily and without discomfort.  
“If you are lying, your are dead, dear husband.”  
He kissed her “I love you, my dear wife.”  
Before heading home Aelin stopped at the pharmacy and got the medicines the doctor had prescribed.  
Once at home, she pushed Rowan to the bedroom. He protested saying that it was day and he could stay on the sofa but he discovered very quickly that Aelin in doctor mode was a bit of a despot.  
“Just for today. Tomorrow we’ll organise the living room so you can camp there during the day but today I am home and you will stay in bed.”  
“Fine.” He yielded.  
She went to his drawer and got some clean bed clothes.  
“Not again.”  
“You are not coming to bed with that t-shirt. First, there is blood on it. Second it’s dirty and I changed the sheets this morning.”  
“You are so mean.” He complained.  
Aelin grabbed a tube “wait.” She told him when she noticed he was about to try and put the t-shirt back on “This gel will help reduce the bruises and reduce the inflammation.” She spread a bit of the gel on his chest with circular motions being very careful not to cause any more pain. Once she was done she helped him put the t-shirt back on “We’ll put a bit more tonight before bed.”  
“I have my very own sexy personal nurse.”  
She grinned in response “Yes, and you’d better listen to her.”  
She helped him to get into bed and then left the room and came back with a glass of water and some pills “Take these, they will help the headache and reduce the pain in general.”  
Rowan followed orders and she then sat happily beside him on the bed.  
“Do you want me to get you a book?”  
Rowan shook his head “I don’t feel too great to read just now.”  
She caressed his head and kissed his forehead “just sleep a bit, then.”  
“We can watch one of your shows.”  
She grinned. Rowan did not have a tv but she had Netflix on her laptop so she had introduced him to some of her favourite series. At the moment they were to season two of Brooklyn nine nine and Rowan seemed to love it.  
“I’ll be back.” When she did she had a bed tray and her laptop. She made sure Rowan was comfortable and not in a position that would cause him pain. Then she placed the tray on the bed and her laptop on it.  
She put her pyjama on and snuggled under the blankets with him and curled up to his chest, and her arm around his waist.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Perfect.” He kissed the top of her head.  
“Are we continuing with Brooklyn nine nine?”  
He nodded and she started Netflix.  
A few hours later Aelin woke up and noticed they had both fallen asleep.  
She closed her laptop and placed on the floor on her side of her bed.  
Rowan woke in that instant.  
“Shhh go back to sleep.” She soothed.  
He lay down again and she snuggled against him. Her hand went gently on his chest and brushed it gently. She had been terrified when she was told he had been in an accident. Until she saw him in his room awake she could not push away the terror in her heart.  
She felt his heart beat steadily and she finally relaxed and eventually fell asleep as well.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 18.
> 
> This chapter has been the most difficult so far. I had an idea when i wrote it two days ago, then today I was editing and realised that I did not like the idea.   
> There is a bit of excitement at the beginning and Aelin realises something.
> 
> Also, it's finally the Summer Solstice and Rowan keeps his promise to take her to Callanish.
> 
> I hope you will like it.
> 
> Happy reading <3

Aelin and Rowan had closed the shop for lunch and had decided to go to Maeve’s and have a lunch that was not leftovers from the previous night. Although most of the times it was leftovers from one of Rowan’s amazing meals.  
“I am starving.” Aelin declared and Rowan laughed.  
“Is that a news?” He joked, flipping her nose tenderly.  
“You are such a mean old man.”  
“I am only two years older than you.” He grinned back.  
In response she stole one of his carrots and then went back to her lunch. Rowan was a super healthy eater, a habit he had acquired when he used to compete and never abandoned. She had eaten more vegetables since she had started living with him than ever in her life. He had also put a leash on her sugar intake and there have been days when she had been quite cranky. His excuse was that he was doing his best to care for her and that as a doctor she she should know how to eat properly.  
“That’s my vegetable for today.” She affirmed grabbing and biting her burger with passion “Hmm yummy.”  
“Get a room you two.”  
She was busy eating when she noticed a bit of commotion in a corner of the cafe. At a table there was a group of four elderly men now all gathered around one of them laying limp on the table.  
Aelin knew right away that there was something wrong. Her training kicked in and jumped out of the their table and ran to the other.  
She placed her fingers on the man’s neck and felt no pulse.  
Fuck.   
“Rowan,” she shouted and he was at her side in a second sensing her urgency.  
“Help me put him on the floor.”  
Together they gently deposited the unconscious man on the ground and Aelin went into action. She opened his shirt to allow him to breath more easily, when she noticed the surgical scar on the man’s chest.  
“He had heart surgery a while ago.” One of his friends told her when he noticed her staring at the scar.   
Aelin joined the heels of her hands on his sternum and started CPR with the expertise of someone who had done it almost every day for years.  
“Rowan,”  
He kneeled in front of her.  
“Your phone. Dial 999 for me a put it on the floor in front of me and on speakers. Ask for the ambulance.”  
Rowan nodded and proceeded to do as ordered.  
“Defibrillator. Any place around here that have a portable one?” She asked never stopping the compressions and never slowing down. She had to keep going until they had a defibrillator or the ambulance arrived.  
“An Lanntair.” He said quickly.  
“Run, I need it.” It was an order and her old A&E commanding voice was back. A part of her that she had buried recently.   
The emergency services finally connected “I need an ambulance at the coffee shop on the corner between Keith st. and Francis st. in Stornoway. Male, probably in his seventies. He collapsed on the floor. He is not breathing and I am performing CPR. He has a surgical scar for a past operation.”  
“Is he conscious?”  
“No.”  
“Can you continue CPR until the arrival of the ambulance?”  
“Yes, I can.” Lie. Her arms were aching. She had forgotten how exhausting it was but she could not stop.  
“The ambulance is on its way.”  
A moment later Rowan was back with the portable defibrillator.  
“The ambulance is coming. Can you take over from me while I put the pads on?”  
Rowan nodded. He placed his hands right above hers and took over as soon as she moved away.  
Aelin opened the box with the defibrillator and attached the pads in the correct positions on the man’s chest. She attached the cable and switched on the machine. He stared at her and the calm with which she was performing every action. He was in awe. He was ready to panic once he saw the man collapse. He had done this in many training course but he realised that he never expected to had to do it for real. For Aelin it was different. She was trained for this. It had been her life before everything happened.   
“When I tell you clear you remove your hands from him. Okay?”  
He nodded. He had done enough first aid training to know what she meant.  
The machine started working and as soon as she heard the voice announcing the shock she shouted clear. Rowan’s hand lifted and the body on the man jerked once.   
Another three shocks went through and the machine told her to resume compression.  
“Were the fuck is the ambulance? It’s been ten minutes!” She shouted after taking over the compressions again from Rowan.  
All around her the customers and the man’s friends were gathered to watch her.  
Maeve ran outside to keep a lookout.  
“What’s his name?”  
“Iain.”  
“Come on Iain. Work with me. Come on. Come on.” She grunted while the heels of her hands kept pushing of his chest to keep him alive.  
“Let me take over,” offered Rowan realising she must have been exhausted. Once during a course he had to do it for two minutes straight and at the end he was exhausted. She had been going for almost ten minutes.   
“I am fine.” Then she felt it. The resistance of his the man’s chest. She placed a finger on the man’s neck and felt a pulse and breathed in relief.  
He was still unconscious but he was breathing albeit quite shallowly.  
She sat on her haunches and breathed deeply, ache spreading through her arms.  
In that moment the paramedics arrived and Rowan moved away to give them access.  
“I performed CPR for about ten minutes.” She briefed them calmly “He was not breathing. I used a defibrillator as well. He is breathing again but his pulse it’s quite irregular and he is still unconscious.”  
“You saved him, do you realise it?” Told her one of the paramedics.  
“Not my first ride, young man.” She patted his shoulder.  
“Are you okay?” The other paramedic asked. She was breathless.  
“Haven’t done this in a while. Just out of practice.” And she gave them a faint smile.  
The paramedics finally left and Aelin breathed out but remained seated on the floor.  
“Young lady, that was impressive.” Said one of the men at Iain’s table  
“I just did my job.” Finally she stood and a pang of sadness hit her. Rowan went to help her but she dismissed him.  
Maeve brought her some water and Aelin drank it in one gulp.  
“Thank you.” One of the men came to her and hugged “ he is my best friend and you saved him.”  
Aelin patted his hand gently “He will be fine. The doctors will look after him.”

Ten minutes later she and Rowan were walking along the marina hand in hand. He had bought her an ice cream as a reward.  
“You were amazing today. I was in awe.”  
“I didn’t do much to be honest,” she admitted while enjoying her super cone.  
Rowan snorted at her side “You saved a man. You were awesome in there. The way you took over with such calm. I was panicking. It was amazing. Seeing you at work was incredible.”  
“Training. I suppose.” Everyone in the coffee shop had called a hero and all that stuff. Everyone started praising her forgetting that that was her job. That’s what she had spent almost a lifetime doing. She was no hero. It was just pure training kicking in. It was years spent in A&E in London, Saturday nights treating one patient after the other. Training allowing her to keep a clear head and remain focused when the A&E was overwhelmed because of an accident.”  
“Well, I was in awe.” And he gave her a huge boyish grin.  
“I missed it, Ro.” She stopped and turned to him “While I was saving that man’s life I realised that I missed it. The rush, the adrenaline. I missed it.” She finished her cone and leaned against the wall of the marina “I love working with you. I adore it. But that” she said pointing her a finger to the town centre, “that is what I am. And I miss it. And I did not realise just how much until today.”  
He hugged her “Go and get your dream, Fireheart.”  
Her arms slid on his back “I don’t want to leave the shop. But I want to do that again.”  
“I know,” he said kissing her ear “and that’s what you should do. The shop and I will be fine. I will see you at home.”  
“You won’t be mad at me?” She asked searching his gaze.  
“Never.” His brow against hers “I could never be mad at you for doing something you love and be happy.”  
“We should go back to the shop, you know?”  
Rowan nodded and together they walked back “I am ready for all the journalists to pop in and ask about the great doctor in town.”  
Aelin laughed “Idiot.”  
“Hey, it’s a small town, this for us is a breaking news.”

In the end in the afternoon they really had a few people who came in to thank her for what she did. Some of them were Iain’s friends who were grateful. She also got a call in the shop from the daughter thanking her to no end for saving her dad’s life. 

Rowan had spent the day staring at her with pride in his eyes. 

Once they got home that night Aelin announced she was desperate for a shower.  
She walked to the bathroom and once inside she peaked out to him “fancy joining me?”  
Rowan reached her “that would be a very bad idea” he kissed her deeply, his tongue brushing against hers, taunting her, teasing her. Aelin’s fingers brushed through his hair pulling him closer to her. His mouth devoured her and she arched into him. She heard him moan and her desire flared through her, her legs went around his waist pulling his body as close as possible to hers.  
His hand slid up, under her t-shirt until his thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts.  
“I need you.” Her voice a mere whisper.  
“This is not a romantic getaway and I don’t see any snow.” He smirked.  
Aelin pulled away “Fine. I’ll enjoy the shower and this body alone.” And she shut the door of the bathroom in his face.

When she came back from the shower all changed and clean she found him on the sofa, reading.   
“Had fun in the shower?”  
She grinned wickedly “Oh yes, my fingers and I had a wonderful time.”  
Rowan gasped at her admission.  
“What?” She said in an innocent tone while braiding her hair “You are not doing anything so I have to take care of my needs.”  
The top of his ears went red along with his cheeks.  
Aelin laughed. He was adorable.  
She scooted beside him and draped her legs over his.  
“It’s the summer solstice tomorrow and I remember I promised you to take you to Callanish. We can go after work and we can have a picnic near the stones.” He said, steering their conversation to safer topics.  
“Yes please,” he could hear the excitement in her voice, her eyes glistening with joy again. “Do you have any tradition?”  
“I usually go to Callanish, very early and watch the sun rise. But that means waking up in the middle of the night as the sun rises around 3:30 am. But I can’t do that to you.” He explained   
“Thank you, I don’t think I’d be able to enjoy it very much.”  
“Exactly my thinking, that’s why we are going after work and wait for the sun to go to bed instead.”

The next day after work they went home and Aelin was exciting at the idea of spending the evening at Callanish. Since she had been dating Rowan she had grown interested in some of the practices around paganism and had been asking him loads of question about his beliefs. She had discovered his strong connection with nature. If you asked him, he would tell you that was his equivalent of god. He still respect the four ancient festivals, the solstices and celebrated Yule/Winter Solstice instead of Christmas. The only sore point of their relationship so far. Aelin was a hardcore Christmas lover.  
Once at home, Aelin ran to her hold room and ordered him not to follow her. She had a surprise for him.  
Rowan obeyed and went to their room to get changed. When he got back to the living room he saw Aelin standing in the middle of it and his breath hitched at the view.  
She was wearing a long white cotton dress and on top of it a dark blue cape with intricate silver embroidery. Her hair was free and on top of her head she had a crown made of flowers. She took his breath away.  
“What do you think?” She asked turning around to give him a full view.”  
She saw him smile and ran a hand through his hair “Perfect.”  
“I did a bit of reading. The flowers are connected with the summer and Earth reawakening, the white dress it kinda represents the light. The cape…” she extended it with her hands and pirouetted in it “I always wanted to wear one. I found this amazing woman in town who is a brilliant seamstress. Your aunt recommended her to me. So I bought the cape online, sorry I had to, and she did this for me.”  
He moved a step closer and another one and cupped her face and then kissed her “You are perfect.”  
Aelin grinned.  
Eventually they left the house and half an hour later they were at Callanish.   
He would have wanted to go and see the sun rise as usual but he was happy as long as he could spend that day with her.  
At Callanish they realised they had the site to themselves, most of the people had probably gone in the morning or in the afternoon. Rowan choose one of the stones closer to the centre circle and chamber and laid down his blanket, then grabbed Aelin’s hand and helped her to sit down.   
He went on his knees and stated rummaging in his backpack. He removed a couple of candles and a base with protections on the side so he could light them without risking to burn the grass around them.  
“In the old days, people would have bonfires. They chase away the spirits and the winter. We can’t have bonfires but a couple of candles will do.”  
He laid out the meal he had prepared and finally grabbed the thermos with herbal tea he had brewed.   
Rowan turned to the sun and closed his eyes and Aelin stared at him, his beautiful face kissed by the sun. He took her hand and she closed her eyes as well letting the rays of the sun warm her skin.  
His head turned and kissed her “I always thank Mother Nature.”  
Aelin grabbed the containers and took a few bites of the lovely food he had prepared. Full of fresh vegetables and other healthy ingredients.   
Rowan took a few pictures of her while she detached one grape and fed it to him. He smiled and kissed her finger in response.   
Once they were done Aelin stood and offered him her hand. He took it and stood as well. Aelin grabbed her phone and played some of the slow Gaelic ballads she had discovered thanks to him. His arm pulled her to him while the other grabbed her free hand and pulled it to his chest. Then they started a slow dance following the music. Once the rhythm picked up he pushed her away and made her twirl and pulled her back to his chest. And when finally Every River played she snuggled to him and they had a slow dance on the spot. His chin resting on her head that was buried in the crook of his neck. That had officially become their song.  
The song ran to an end and she looked up at him.  
“You are my everything.” He whispered to her before depositing a tender kiss on her lips.  
They sat back down in the silence of the nature and she took her usual place between his legs.   
“Were you always this connected with nature?”  
He kissed her neck.  
“Tha.” He replied “The house were I was born was a croft near the Butt of Lewis. Very far away from everything. I grew up surrounded by animals and nature. Until I left for uni to go to Glasgow. The city is amazing but I would come home as often as I could.” She felt his arms tighten around her “Then my parents passed and I had to sell the croft. My aunt took me in. I would spend all my free time swimming because I could not cope with the mayhem of a big city. Being in the water gave me the peace I longed for. As soon as uni was over I rushed back here. I missed the croft but Stornoway was not like being in Glasgow and nature was a very short ride away. My parents used to follow the old ways and respect the old festivals and I took it from them.”  
Aelin brought his hand to her mouth for a kiss.  
“I dream to buy again a croft out of town in the countryside and have some animals too.” He kissed her head.  
“I was your average city girl until I got here.” She told him trying to make him laugh “Used to a frenetic pace, everything open al the time. Hundreds of cinemas and theatres to chose from and same for restaurants. So much choice that sometimes Lysandra and I ended up staying at home because we could not make up our mind and we would just order take in by pointing at a random restaurant on our app.”  
He chuckled.  
“I love that here An Lanntair is the only place for such things and you have to follow the program, which is awesome by the way. I love that my phone loses signal as soon as I am away from town. I love that I don’t order food via an app but the good old fashioned phone call and then pick up. I love that everything closes on a Sunday. It’s relaxing. I feel like I can breath again here. And I am developing a sort of mad obsession with nature thanks to you.”  
“You are welcome.”  
They sat and talked until the sun finally started to dip behind the horizon for a quick five hour nap.  
Rowan stood and offered her his hand “My queen,” he joked kissing her hand.  
Aelin laughed and stood. They collected all their stuff and went back to the car.  
Not long later they were back home, Aelin had one last surprise for him. While he was changing she ran to the bathroom and changed as well, but this not in one of her fun pyjamas.  
While he had his back to the door she leaned against it in a very sensual position. She had worn one of her nightgowns. This one was particularly revealing. Its length barely passed the apex of her legs, showing him the lacy blue lingeries she was wearing, matching the nightgown. Also she was not wearing a bra and well her girls were almost bursting.  
Rowan turned and froze halfway to put his t-shirt on.  
“Enjoying the view?”  
He was completely frozen and she found him adorable.  
“What?”  
“Is that what you are wearing in bed?” His voice was rough all of a sudden.  
“Any issues?” And in a very provocative motion she slid a bit of the bottom up giving him an extra peek.  
“No it’s just that…” and he pointed at her “I can see things…” he was so stunned that Aelin had to try not to laugh at the discovery of how easy was to rile him up.  
“Oh, do you mean my underwear?” And her hand brushed her knickers lifting the gown in the process. She saw him swallow “And I believe you met my girls already.” Aelin tortured him by palming her breasts getting her nipples all hard and now visible through the fabric.  
Rowan shook his head and tried to breath, then excused himself and ran out of the room.  
Aelin roared with laughter and then went to bed with a book, the blankets high and covering everything.  
Rowan came back ten minutes later with a stressed face and disheveled hair.  
He sat in bed then turned to her and kissed her hard, a hand sneaking under the nightgown “You will be the death of me.” He breathed, his voice still gruff.  
“Your face was totally worth it.”  
“Can we go back to the Cookie Monster Pyjama?” He asked kissing her neck.  
“I am offended.”  
“It’s just for my own sanity, Fireheart.”  
“Fine,” she agreed going back to her book and ignoring his kisses.  
She slammed the book shut and placed it on the nightstand “Can we talk?”  
“Uh-oh.” He said worried.  
“What are we doing? We do this teasing things to each other. We live together and share a bed. You saw me half naked and clearly our kisses are not innocent. But we still keep telling each other that we are taking it easy and trying to understand our feelings.” She let out. She had been thinking about breaching the subject for a while. “At Callanish we said each other that are the opposite of taking it easy and slow. Damn it Rowan, what you said it almost sounded like a proposal.”  
He leaned on the pillow and stared at the ceiling “You are right.” One hand stretched out to grab hers “You are right. I do love you and there is no point hiding things anymore.”  
“Ok,” she replied “I know that we decided not to put a label on it to start with, but things have changed, developed.”  
He laughed “We are basically an old married couple.”  
“That we are,” she was laughing as well and straddled him all of a sudden “And you are the grumpy old husband who shouts at the neighbour’s kids because they breathed too loud.”  
“That does sound like me.” He joked pulling her down for a kiss.  
“So we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend.” She admitted staring into his green eyes.  
“Yeah but just for the boring people.” He kissed her again “You are still my Fireheart and I am your Buzzard.”  
She pulled up “I can live with that.”  
He sat up a bit more comfortably “I meant to tell you…” he started “Heb Celt is in two weeks. Are you still interested in coming with me?”  
“Hell yes.” Her finger traced his chest “I have to show off all my knowledge of Scottish groups and I need to see Peat and Diesel live.”  
He laughed again “I really have created a monster.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers “Both Skerryvore and Skipinnish will be there plus other groups you still have to discover.”  
“I know all the lyrics.” She bragged.  
“And we’ll finally introduce you to ceilidhs.”  
“Is that something you eat?”   
Rowan laughed out loud “no, mo chridhe, ceilidh is a Scottish type of dance.”  
She looked at him in a puzzled way.  
“They are super fun, but the dancing is very energetic. I’ll show you a few video. Is much easier to explain.”  
“So you are dancing with me again.”  
“Yes, but this time a proper one.”  
“I am really looking forward to this.” She confessed leaning on his chest.  
“Good, now let’s sleep a bit. Waking you up in the morning is always a challenge.” He joked and pulled her as close as possible acting as a bis spoon.  
She smiled, then grabbed his hand and pushed it inside her nightgown and against her breasts “My girls feel lonely.”  
Rowan kissed her ear and his hand squeezed back in approval.  
Aelin kissed his hand and after a while she was asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, afternoon, morning to everyone and welcome to chapter 19.
> 
> I have a few notes before letting you to the chapter.  
> Rowan and Aelin finally attend Heb Celt. Heb Celt is this wonderful festival held in Stornoway each year (non covid years) and it's all about Scottish and Celtic music. It's big and it's amazing.  
> That's where they are.  
> I mentioned some groups. Peat and Diesel have been mentioned before in the fic. The new ones are Skerryvore and Skipinnish. they do some amazing music and I highly recommend it if you want to try some Scottish bands. They also sing in Gaelic.  
> The song from Skerryvore that Aelin sing is called You and I. Awesome stuff.
> 
> Half way through you will notice Elide and Lorcan appearing in the fic. I tried to keep Lorcan IC as much as i could. not an easy task.  
> I had to give them modern world jobs so Lorcan in my head is perfect for a rugby player. He is the Captain of the Glasgow warriors. They are a real team in Glasgow.  
> The boys also mention the Six Nations. This is a wonderful competition that if you are in Europe you might have heard of. It happens every year and it has 6 teams competing: Scotland (YAY), Italy (YAY - I am Italian... imagine my pain on a Sco vs Ita game), Wales, Ireland and France. I love this competition and it's going to start this weekend. Rowan and Lorcan joke about England and Scotland. Although England wins most of the times (grrrrr) a few years back Scotland actually won and it almost became a new national day after St Andrews. I am not joking. Rugby is a big thing in Scotland.
> 
> Two Gaelic phrases:  
> -Tha Gàidhlig agam cuideachd: I speak Gaelic too  
> -Tha beagan Gàidhlig agam. I speak little Gaelic.
> 
> Quick update as well about the fic.  
> Most of the chapters have some big chunks written.  
> But there are two important chapters:  
> 22 - something big happens. I wrote the main important part 5 times already and probably re write another five before i publish it. It involves something I don't usually write and I am really nervous. So finger crossed.
> 
> 26: this will be the last chapter (there's an epilogue as well) and again I have written the main event. There is so much fluff that it's probably not healthy :)
> 
> So, after this massive introduction I can let you go and enjoy (hopefully) the chapter.

Aelin had woken up before Rowan that morning. It was finally mid July and it was Heb Celt day and she was super excited. The festival would run for three days but they had chosen the one with the most of their favourite artists. Plus Rowan had tickets for Peat and Diesel and they could not miss them.  
She rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen. That morning it was her turn for once to prepare breakfast. Rowan had taught her enough for her to make breakfast safely without burning the house down.  
It was a special day and she was going to make eggs and bacon, the only concession Rowan would make in his perfect diet. Once a week they could treat themselves to a non healthy breakfast.  
She prepared the coffee, sliced some bread for the toaster and started frying the bacon in one pan and getting the eggs ready as well. She felt good, she could make breakfast for Rowan for once.  
She was almost done when she felt his arms around her waist and a soft kiss behind her ear.  
“It smells lovely.”  
“It’s a special day today so we are having our special breakfast.” She told him while finishing ti prepare the eggs. She was very proud of her job.  
“I’ll set the table.” He added and moved away and she missed his arms.  
“So, the main event is tonight at seven.” She said passing him the plates with food “I had a look at some events and it seems there is enough for us to fill up the entire day.”  
“You have done a good job,” he commented taking a bite of the food she had prepared for him. She tasted it as well and found it edible. Well, at least she was not going to poison them and he seemed satisfied.  
“Look at you.” He pulled her to him, and Aelin sat on his lap. She grabbed her plate and finished her breakfast with one of his arms around her. She was really loving it living with him. It had taken her a little while to adjust to his way of life but she had realised that living with him was quite easy. They had their little fights but he seemed to hate to hold grudges for too long so every time they had fixed their issues quite quickly.  
The two of them ate in silence for a moment “This is good, Fireheart.” And he polished off his plate.  
“I had a good teacher.”  
She stood and Rowan noticed that she was only wearing a large t-shirt, his t-shirt, and under it he could very barely notice her underwear. He grabbed her and pulled her back on his lap and she straddled him. His hands landed on her butt and she kissed him.  
“You really love teasing me, don’t you?”  
“It’s fun.”  
He looked at her in a weird way “Sure, torturing a poor man like that.”  
She got up again and took all the plates to the sink and she walked swaying her hips on purpose.  
Rowan almost howled at the sight.  
She started washing the dishes and at the same time she began dancing and singing _and that’s the way we do it, the way we do it in the Western Isles._  
Rowan laughed and helped her. She washed and he dried them.  
She kept singing and bumped her hips into his and the two started dancing together.  
Once they were done Aelin went to her old room to get changed. She wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Then she braided her hair and tied a colourful bandana to her head. She prepared her backpack and she was ready to go.  
Once out, Rowan was waiting for her. He had blue shorts a grey t-shirt and on top of it a blue shirt with short sleeves and his sunglasses on top of his head.  
Aelin took a photo of him “so sexy.”  
He raised an eyebrow at her comment “I am not—“  
“Shh…” she said placing a finger on his lips “I am your girlfriend and I am the one to judge.”  
He bit her finger in reply.  
“Fine, fine.” He grabbed her hand “Come on, I have a surprise for you.”  
Her face lit up and he could spend an entire day staring at her smiling at him. It was such a beautiful sight.  
They left the house and began their walk all the way to the harbour and Aelin was getting curious about their destination.  
They reached a small house down at the pier and Rowan pulled her toward the small group of people gathered. Aelin noticed another couple and a woman on her own. She was quite intent in studying the couple. The woman was quite petite with black hair and black eyes as well and she had a very bright smile. The man was almost the opposite. He was tall, Aelin suspected even taller than Rowan, something she could not believe it was possible. He had a thick muscular build with long dark hair and same for his eyes. But where she exuded a friendly attitude, he seemed to scowl even at the stones.  
“Is this part of the festival?” Wondering about his plan.  
“In a manner.” He explained quite vaguely “It’s just a pre festival fun.”  
Sure, now it was clear, thought Aelin, none the wiser.  
Rowan left her side for a moment and she noticed him talking with a man who, from the way he was dressed seemed to be a crew member on a boat. Rowan looked relaxed and Aelin suspected the two were friends. And with sadness she realised she had never met any of Rowan’s friend and he did not seem to mention any of them.  
“Ready for an adventure?” He told her once he came back, carrying two lifejackets.  
Aelin stared at him and then he pointed at the small rib boat and he gave her a huge grin.  
“I know one of crew members, Callum,” and he pointed at the man he was talking to. We used to dive together. I asked him if he could save us two seats for this morning. It’s a gorgeous day and a boat trip seems like the best way to spend the morning.”  
“You are a very resourceful man, Rowan Whitethorn.” She tiptoed on her feet and kissed his nose.  
One of the crew member walked around distributing lifejackets and explained the basic health and safety measures. Aelin wore her vest and Rowan double checked it was up to his standards. Once he was happy that the jacket was safely on he helped her to get on the rib.  
The brunette girl who was part of the couple sat beside her giving her a wide smile full of excitement that probably mirrored Aelin’s.  
“I am Elide.” The woman introduced herself and Aelin took her hand.  
“I am Aelin.” She smiled back “Are you here for the festival too?” She had a feeling they were tourists.  
“Yes,” she replied excited “Lorcan and I come every year. We love it.” Then she turned to the man at her side “This is Lorcan by the way. Don’t worry he does not bite. That is just his regular face” and the man grunted in reply.  
Aelin laughed. The man seemed to be mad at the world. She turned to introduce Rowan to the couple, but she noticed he was still on the pier chatting away with one of the crew members.  
“The tall guy on the pier with the blue shirt? My boyfriend, Rowan.”  
Elide’s gaze took in Rowan and Aelin smiled wickedly at the woman’s stare of understanding.  
“Did you come here for the festival too?”  
“Oh, Rowan and I live here. He is the local, I moved her a few months ago.”  
“Nice,” said the woman.  
Aelin liked her already, she had a very bubbly personality.  
“Lorcan and I live in Glasgow.”  
“I never been there but Rowan did uni there..”  
“You should come and visit. It’s quite a fantastic city. So alive.”  
Rowan finally returned and sat down beside Aelin “nice chat?”  
“Yeah, I haven’t seen him in ages. I knew he had opened a boat tours business but I never had the chance to come and say hi. We were just discussing some ideas for possible diving adventures.”  
She caressed his head and realised that there was still so much she did not know about him. Some days he still felt like a huge mystery, but still, she was madly in love with him and she was looking to find out more about him day by day.  
“I made a friend by the way,” and she pointed at the woman at her side “This is Elide. She and her boyfriend Lorcan are here for the festival too.” Rowan extended his hand and then he and Lorcan exchanged a manly nod and both women rolled their eyes.  
Rowan fussed over her again and double checked one more time that her lifejacket was fitted and tied properly, when the rib boat started to move. His hand reached behind her back and he leaned comfortably against the side of the boat and closed his eyes, letting the sun kiss his face.  
Aelin and Elide on the other hand, were taking photos and chatting away happily pointing at all the points of interest.  
The boat glided on the water and Aelin leaned back against Rowan, taking in the scenery in front of her. She had explored all of that during her adventures, but seeing it from the water was a completely different experience.  
“Thank you for this.” She said to him.  
“Hopefully we will see some wildlife.” He added “Callum said that yesterday they spotted Orcas.”  
Aelin’s eyes went wide in surprise “I saw whales at the Butt of Lewis, or what I think it was whales.”  
“Highly likely.”  
Then she turned to Elide “So, you guys are staying here for the whole festival?”  
The woman nodded “Yes, Lorcan and I always rent a cottage for a week and spend the whole weekend at the festival. I am looking forward the main event tonight: Peat and Diesel.”  
Aelin almost squealed “us too. Rowan introduced me to them very recently and I am dying to see them live.”  
“We have been to one of their concerts in Glasgow at the Barrowlands.” Said Lorcan almost grumbling.  
“Oh, he speaks,” joked Elide, patting his leg and giving him a smile. He did not reply and just placed a hand on her back.  
“What about we spend the day together?”  
Aelin turned all excited to Rowan who gave her a nod “Yes,” she shouted looking at Elide again.  
They sailed for a bit longer and reached Tiumpan Head and Rowan told her to keep and eye on the sea. Not a moment later she spotted a couple of fins and she and Elide almost jumped.  
“Dolphins,” Rowan said in her ear. She made a 360 and sat on her knees facing now the water. She felt Rowan’s arm tight around her waist.  
“Please, don’t fall in the water.”  
Her hand was in the water and a dolphin passed very close to her and she almost touched it. Rowan used his free hand to take pictures of her. His phone gallery had nothing but pictures of Aelin.  
Elide turned as well and Rowan noticed the panic in the other man’s eyes and they exchanged a glance of understanding.  
Aelin leaned a bit further but Rowan’s arm pulled her back “Please don’t. Lifeguard service is not in my plans for today.”  
“There’s dolphins around the boat.” Aelin squealed.  
“I know, Fireheart,” he pulled her back “but you need to calm down.”  
She sat back down to a safer position and Rowan felt like he could breath again.  
“Is that Tolsta?” She then asked when they continued north and she recognised the place in front of her.  
The closer they got to the beach the clearer the water got and Aelin was in awe “This reminds me of when Lys and I swam at Luskentyre.”  
Oh yeah, Rowan remembered the day and very quickly chased the memories away. They were in public.  
The boat made a turn and they began to make their way back to the town. Aelin snuggled to Rowan’s chest, with her arms around his waist.  
“Are you cold?” He demanded “I have your favourite hoodie with me.”  
“I am fine.”  
An hour later they were back at the harbour and Aelin was high on excitement. The trip had been amazing. Once off the boat she flung her arms around Rowan’s neck and kissed him “Thank you. I loved my surprise.”  
“You are most welcome.”  
He pulled back from her “Let me say bye to Callum.” And she was left alone with Elide and Lorcan.  
“That was a nice trip.” Said the woman, grabbing her boyfriend’s hand.  
“Totally. I had never seen dolphins before. It was so awesome.”  
“Really?” Elide was curious.  
Aelin nodded “Until a few months ago I lived in London. Born and bred there. Not much chance to see dolphins in the water. I doubt they would enjoy the Thames.”  
Elide gazed at Lorcan “We were planning a quick weekend in the capital next month.”  
“Ask me anything. I can tell you the best places to go and how to survive London without breaking the bank.”  
“That would be lovely,” was Lorcan’s reply “I feel like I need a mortgage for this trip.” He kissed the woman’s head and she noticed the first sign of affection “But it’s a belated birthday present, so…” he shrugged.  
“Ach, I can help you with that. I survived London on a budget when I was student.”  
Rowan finally came back and embraced her from behind “Sorry, Callum and I were just planning an excursion for next Sunday.” He kissed her ear.  
“Can I come too?”  
“Of course.” Then he lifted his head and looked at their two companions for the day “Aelin and I are going to grab lunch, fancy joining us?”  
Lorcan almost protested but Elide poked his shoulder “Stop being grumpy.” Then she turned to Aelin and Rowan “Of course we are coming.”  
Rowan smiled and took Aelin’s hand and started walking to Maeve’s. He laughed when he noticed that Aelin was almost skipping. Gods, the woman had never ending energy.  
While walking to Maeve’s Rowan and Lorcan ended up side by side and Aelin just noticed that her assumption was right and Lorcan really was taller that Rowan. The man must have been closer to two metres.  
She felt tiny all of a sudden and Elide seemed even more petite beside the huge man. She could put Aedion with them as well and they could form a sexy, tall wall of muscles. She grinned and was glad that Rowan was busy talk to Elide so he did not notice her savage blush.  
They reached the cafe and noticed that it was packed and Rowan sighed. He loved the festival but it also meant a savage invasion disrupting his day to day life.  
He entered first and went to his aunt and Aelin smiled when she noticed that Maeve had managed to find some space for them.  
“Privileges of being related to the owner,” he smiled, going back to them.  
“This is a lovely place,” commented Elide “why we never stopped here?”  
“So, will you be enjoying the entire festival as well?” Asked Elide, passing a menu to Lorcan.  
“No, Rowan and I will be doing today only. Tomorrow we have to reopen the bookshop.”  
The woman’s eyes lit up in surprise “do you run the bookshop down the road?”  
Rowan nodded “It’s my shop.” He took Aelin’s hand in his “she helps.”  
“Yeah, I fix his displays and I charm customer. Rowan scares them away by being a grump” She grinned back at him and he, in exchange, flicked her nose.  
“I am a primary school teacher,” continued Elide who was definitely the chattier of the pair “And Lorcan is the coach of the Glasgow Warriors. They are a rugby team.” And Aelin was grateful to the woman for the clarification.  
“No way.” Said Rowan amazed “That’s why you looked familiar. You were their captain until a few years back. Lorcan Salvaterre.”  
Lorcan nodded.  
“I studied at Glasgow university and the Warriors were, and still are, my favourite team. I went to see plenty of their games. You guys are awesome.”  
“You like rugby?”  
“Aye,” added Rowan and Aelin studied him for a moment. He was alive all of a sudden, his usual calm disappeared and he was one beautiful sight “Stornoway has a small club and I go and watch some of the games. But I miss the big league guys. I usually get tickets for the Six Nations as well.”  
Lorcan smiled “I can get you some tickets for one of Scotland’s home games. Perhaps for the one against England. Wonder if it will be finally the year we trash them as they deserve.”  
“Hey,” Aelin exclaimed almost hurt “English woman here.” And as a joke she pushed her London accent.  
“No one is perfect, Fireheart.” Rowan kissed her temple. She pinched his side and he barely reacted “Fine, I will support England this year, just to annoy you” She threatened and the two guys glared at her. “Fine.” She raised her hands “but you need to teach me Flower of Scotland.”  
“It would be my pleasure.” And he pulled her to him and in that instant Maeve came with their order “Sorry for the wait guys, we are quite busy today.”  
Rowan said something in Gaelic to his aunt and she walked away with a smile.  
Elide turned to him “Tha Gàidhlig agam cuideachd.”  
Rowan’s face lit up.  
“I teach at the Glasgow Gaelic School. I am not a native. I picked it up at uni and I fell in love with it. I spent some time on the islands to learn it and then I got a job as a teacher.”  
“Yeah if she starts to shout at me in Gaelic I know she is really mad at me.” The man joked taking her hand.  
“I only know a few sentences. Tha beagan Gàidhlig agam.” Aelin said proudly “Rowan has been teaching me.”  
They finished their lunch chatting away nicely and getting to know each other. Lorcan did manage to utter a few more sentences but he became quite talkative once he and Rowan started talking about rugby.  
Aelin ordered a trip to the ice cream parlour. And the boys followed. Aelin took Elide’s arm and let Rowan and Lorcan follow. They were super immersed in their conversation.  
Aelin wished Lysandra was there too. She had a feeling the three of them would get along greatly.  
Aelin and Elide got a triple cone and the two men just went for something more sober with just one flavour.  
“Look at them all perfect and healthy.” Aelin mocked them and Elide giggled at her side.  
Rowan, in front of her just met her gaze and then licked his ice cream in a very taunting way and took great pleasure in noticing her reaction.  
Aelin almost chocked and his eyes flashed in amusement. A wall, she just wanted a wall and twenty minutes alone with him to remove that smirk form his face. He knew he had rattled her and hated the way he casually went back talking to Lorcan.  
She would have her revenge. Eventually her mind started functioning again and went back talking to Elide, hoping the woman had not noticed their exchange. That would have been embarrassing.  
Slowly they reached the festival grounds. They made it till four and they still had three hours to fill in before the main event. They all collected their tickets and ventured inside the main arena.  
Aelin squeezed Rowan’s hand and once she turned to him she noticed he had the most amazing smile.  
“We got a concert coming up.” Said Elide, then grabbed a notebook and scribbled something down “this is my number. Text me later. We can meet again for the main event.”  
Aelin took the piece of paper and then the notebook and wrote her number for the woman “Looking forward to.”  
The two said their goodbyes and Rowan finally pulled Aelin to him and kissed her deeply “I had to restrain myself all afternoon.”  
“You are a wicked man,” a whisper against his lips “You will pay for the ice cream trick.”  
But in response his kiss deepened and his tongue repeated some of the motions he did early.  
“Unless you want me to drag you in a hidden corner and have sex at a festival, you’d better stop it.”  
He laughed “Yes, Fireheart.” And mirth flashed in his pine green eyes.  
“Come on, let’s go and have a look at the merchandise. See if we can get you a P&D hoodie.” And he dragged her to the area with all the stalls.  
“Uh, food stalls.” She pulled on one side.  
“Later. We just had a massive lunch and ice cream.”  
“You are no fun.” She complained while following him.  
He walked with her in tow for a little longer and they finally found all the stall with the merchandise for the bands and the festival in general.  
“Look,” he said to her pointing at the big stall of the band “Good thing we are here early, we can do all these things now. Later on it will be mobbed.”  
Aelin got closer to the stall and started having a look at the hoodies. She noticed a green one and gave it a try. She had decided that for some reason green reminded her of Rowan, perhaps for his eyes, but the colour now was a reminder of him. She tried on the hoodie and Rowan turned and stared at her in appreciation.  
“You look lovely.”  
“I’ll take it.” As Rowan turned again, apparently interested by what was going on on the big screen and she used the moment to buy a t-shirt for him. His birthday was coming up and this was the second part of her present. She paid for her stuff and quickly placed the t-shirt in her backpack before he would turn again.  
She embraced him from behind and leaned her head against his back, he turned, “I really, really like it.” And kissed her forehead.  
They wandered a bit longer until they finally reached one of the smaller stages where the first band they were waiting for was going to play soon. They did manage to squeeze to the front and Aelin felt bad for whoever ended up behind Rowan.  
He pulled her in front of him and his arms went around her neck “Are you ready to sing?”  
She nodded. The band was called Skipinnish and one was one of Rowan’s favourite and she agreed that they did some wonderful music. The group started with a slow song and Aelin danced on the spot in Rowan’s arms and she felt like the happiest woman alive. In his arms she was finally happy. As if the last year ceased to exist all of a sudden. That had been his magic. He had slowly taken away all the grief she had felt until only a few months ago. He had given her again the desire to dream. She squeezed his hand and tried to convey somehow all those feeling in that simple gesture.  
The music suddenly picked up in pace and Rowan turned her to him, one of her hand landed on his chest and the other one in his hand that he held high. He started dancing and she swayed with him, then he lifted her and turned on the spot and put her back. A quick kiss and they kept dancing. His eyes alive with happiness. She giggled and he smiled at that sound.  
All through their dance, Aelin sang, impressing him by her knowledge. She only refrained from singing the songs in Gaelic, that was still too much of a challenge.  
They danced for another few hours then they moved to the next stage where Skerryvore, the next band they wanted to see was going to play.  
This time they ended up at the back, but Rowan had Aelin climb on his back, piggyback style, and that allowed her to see the stage a little better. She could not dance but loved her position. Her chin leaned on his head and her arms went around his neck. She took a sniff of his wonderful scent of pine and snow and kissed the back of his head.  
One of Aelin’s favourite songs began playing and she sang out loud _you and I, we held each other tight. Time will take its toll, but I will never let you go. Your love is like a high, you and I. Our love can never die, together as we grow. I’ll always let you know, you’re my reason why_ Rowan joined in and she hugged him tighter and her head leaned against his head. “I love you,” she whispered while he was busy singing the chorus.  
It was past six when the concert finished. Aelin looked at her phone and noticed a text from Elide telling her that she and Lorcan were already at the main stage and they had a spot at the very front.  
“Let’s go.” Aelin grabbed Rowan’s hand “Elide and Lorcan have spot fro us as well at the front of the stage.”  
Luckily the main stage area was not busy yet, and they found the couple quite quickly. Rowan had a look and noticed they had found a good spot.  
“This is perfect.” Rowan commented.  
“Not our first festival.” Lorcan grinned back.  
Aelin and Elide were huddled together talking and being all excited for the grand event. Aelin paraded her hoodie and Elide showed her the t-shirt and the hoodie she had bought as well.  
Rowan really thought he had created a monster.  
With the passing of time the area started to fill and Aelin could feel the excitement around them. Half an hour later the show started with a roar.  
Aelin climbed on Rowan’s shoulders again and she noticed that Lorcan offered the same to Elide.  
Aelin roared as well and shouted as soon as she recognised the notes of the first song _Stornoway_ of course. She sang with all of her voice and waved her hands in the air. She and Elide grabbed their hands and sang and waved together. Then they moved to _Western Isles_ and the crowd went wild. Rowan laughed at Aelin’s wild excitement and was impressed by the fact that Aelin really had learned all the lyrics. “And that’s the way we do it, the way we do it in the Western Isles” she was singing with a passion and his mind went to that morning when she was cooking breakfast in nothing but a baggy t-shirt while singing and dancing to that song.  
Rowan moved a bit dancing as much as possible with Aelin on his shoulder but he sang as well and with his hand he beat the rhythm on Aelin’s legs. The band was playing some of their hits and he was having the time of his life. He had never been able to convince Lyria to go to Heb Celt with him. Her music taste was different and she was never interested in that type of music so he had gone alone for a very long time. But now he had Aelin and she was basically perfect.  
The guys started playing _My islands_ and Aelin let out a savage cheer and then started to sing. She slowly slid off his back and started dancing and jumping in front of him shaking her head at the rhythm of the music Elide at her side being just as wild. She took his hands and danced on the spot as much as the crowd allowed it. Aelin took some photos of her and Rowan and went back dancing.  
It was quite late when the concert finished. Aelin and Elide were now walking silently hand in hand with their respective men.  
“I think they finally ran out of fuel.” Joked Rowan, seeing the two women quiet.  
“It took them a while, but eventually it happened.” Joked Lorcan who had slowly opened up a bit more.  
“You are both so mean.” Said Elide leaning against Lorcan.  
“Yes, and you are going to fall asleep soon.” Lorcan crouched down and offered to carry Elide piggyback “Come on, time to get you to bed.”  
“Are you coming to the ceilidh at An Lanntair tomorrow?”  
Aelin and Rowan looked at each other “we might,” she said.  
“Let us know.” Said Lorcan settling Elide properly on his back “Thanks for the day and evening.” And the two slowly walked away.  
Rowan turned to Aelin and noticed she had a massive grin on her face. Alas, she seemed to have some energy left.  
“That was awesome.” She took both of his hands “And we need to go to the ceilidh tomorrow. It’s your birthday. We need to celebrate.”  
“Fine. We can go. But now we are going home. You have to rest and recharge the batteries for the ceilidh.”  
She leaned forward and kissed him “Thank you so much for this. It was unbelievable.” He pulled her to him and lifted her and pirouetted while kissing her.  
Finally they started making their way home and when Rowan noticed that Aelin was on the verge of falling asleep on her feet he offered a piggyback ride and she accepted.  
By the time they got back home she was fully asleep.  
At home he deposited her on the bed and he started to ponder how to get her out of her current clothes and into a pyjama. He went to get her Cookie Monster pyjama, removed her hoodie and placed it on the chair at the bottom of the room. Next it was the t-shirt and her shorts and he tried to look away. He was about to put the new clothes away when she groaned and woke up briefly.  
“I am just changing you into your pj.” He told her gently. Still half asleep she let him guide her body into her night clothes. Then he realised she liked to sleep without a bra and he had no idea how to solve that one.  
“Bra…” she muttered.  
“I am… you…” he tried to hide his embarrassment “you do that.”  
She muttered something unintelligible and removed her bra and threw it in his face. Then collapsed on the bed and went back to sleep.  
Rowan slowly tucked her in then changed in own night clothes and joined her. His arms went around her waist tucked her head in the crook of his neck.  
Not longer after he was asleep as well.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20 is finally here and sorry for the wait.  
> I work full time and I am doing uni as well. I have an assignment due next week so I had to leave my fic aside as well.
> 
> Tonight here in Scotland is a big night for rugby fans. Rowan and Lorcan from my fic will be probably celebrating with me just now. Scotland has won against England at Twickenham (Home game for England) and for the three of us it's a very, very, very, big thing.  
> I guess our two men are on their way to the pub to get totally pished (wonderful Scottish word for drunk).
> 
> Also, I was so involved in the game that I almost forgot to publish tonight. 
> 
> Chapter 20 has been a challenge. I have changed a part of the story about 4 times and I hope I chose the best plot.  
> We get to meet Chaol. I know in the books he is not as horrible but i made him a bit more horrible just for the sake of the story.  
> Also, be happy that it finished the way it did. In one of my plans I had gone for much, much more angst. Then I told myself that I was writing a fluffy story and ignored the cruel idea.
> 
> Oh, I forgot to add that there is just a smidge of smut.
> 
> I really hope you will enjoy the chapter.

The next morning Aelin woke up before Rowan again. She had a fantastic sleep after the perfect day they had at the festival, but now she was ready to celebrate Rowan because his birthday had finally arrived.  
She turned to him and he was still sleeping soundly. The lines of his face soft making him even more beautiful. She had planned a birthday lunch at Maeve’s, she had a few presents for him, but most especially she intended to wake him up in a very special way. The night before he had gone to bed with just his boxer and shirtless, which meant he had been much more tired than he let it show because he never did that before. Slowly she pulled the blankets back revealing his naked chest. He was sleeping on his back making her plan much easier. Wickedly she removed her top remaining naked from the waist up. Gently she straddled him and then leaned forward depositing kisses along his torso making sure that her naked body was in full contact with his. She heard him moan softly and he slowly come to awareness. Surprise flaring in his eyes as he took in their position.  
“Good morning, birthday boy.” Her body brushed his, her hard peaks against his skin. His eyes went wide.  
“What—” but she kissed him deeply not letting him finish the sentence.  
He shifted up until he was in a seated position and Aelin kept straddling him, then she leaned a bit back allowing him to look at her properly.  
“You are…” and he pointed at her state of undress.  
“Your first present.” She took his hands and placed them on her breasts.  
Rowan’s mouth crushed against hers, avid and needy and she did not hold back. His mouth then travelled to her neck and finally he grabbed her hard peaks in her mouths and Aelin arched her back into him. His other hand found its way in the waistband of her underwear and grabbed her butt pulling her closer to him. She felt him hard against her and she had to try very hard not to grind against him.  
His touch became more demanding as his tongue was doing wicked thing to her mouth.  
“You can touch me whenever you want,” she breathed in his ear and Rowan groaned and flipped on her back, his body now towering over her.  
“You…” a lick on her neck “have…” a gentle bite that sent her mind reeling “no…” his mouth on her breasts again “idea…” and his teeth closed on her nipple. Aelin gently moaned. His hands were taking in every inch of her body and she felt on fire at his touch. His mouth followed the lines of her abdomen until he reached her underwear and placed an almost reverential kiss at the apex of her thighs. It was a simple gesture but Aelin almost lost it. His mouth travelled back up and locked again onto hers but a finger slipped between her legs. He pressed gently at her sensitive spot and she felt her body jerk. Using the fabric of her underwear for friction, his finger was now making circles and she felt his mouth bend into a grin. This was not what she had planned. It was supposed to be the other way around with her giving him a special treatment for his birthday.  
Aelin suddenly felt it, the pressure build, her core now starting to tighten and until release rippled through her like a river out of control. She lifted her head and screamed in his shoulder. She rode her high and he did not stop until she was spent. Then he gave a quick kiss on the mouth and collapsed on the bed at her side, propping his head up with his fist.  
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regain composure “This was not what I had planned,” she turned to face him and his grin was wide “I was the one one supposed to give you such a lovely good morning. Not you.” And she poked his shoulder, in response he leaned over and kissed her again.  
“You provoked me.” His knuckle traced her breasts “with these.” He kissed her again “and I really, really loved my present.”  
Still half naked she got out of bed and went to her old room to grab his presents. She came back and climbed on bed under his hungry stare. She sat down, not bothering to get dressed again.  
She handed him the first present and he opened it and smiled when he realised what it was: a green t-shirt with the Peat and Diesel logo. His face blossomed in a lovely smile. “Put this one on.” He said handing the t-shirt back to her.  
“Does it really bother you to have me naked in bed?”  
“No,” he said leaning closer “I want something with your smell on.”  
She put the t-shirt and he kissed her “perfect,” while slowly his hand sneaked underneath the fabric.  
She patted his hand “I have one more present.”  
“Very generous woman.” He sat back and took the envelope that she handed him.  
Once opened, he read what was on it. It was a handmade coupon for a romantic getaway of his choosing.  
“You choose the location. It can be the mainland or here on the islands. Anywhere in Scotland to be honest. And you get to choose when as well.” She explained “My only rules are that it’s somewhere possibly quiet and with a lot of nature. And once we have the location, I get to chose the accommodation, which will be of course on me since it’s my present to you.” She looked at him “You choose the location and the dates, everything else is on me. Clear?”  
His mouth was on hers again and she pulled him down on the bed where he landed on top of her. “Thank you for your presents.”  
She hoped he decided on his getaway as soon as possible because she could not wait any longer. His hips slammed into her and ground against her thighs gently and Aelin groaned against his shoulder. With all the force she had she pushed him off and flung herself out of bed “Breakfast. Work.” She said breathless “Please Ro, I am about to lose my wits.”  
And she moved to the kitchen to cook breakfast. There was no way she was letting him cook on his birthday.

The morning at the bookshop had been busy. The town was buzzing with festival goers and also tourists and they had their constant stream of people flocking in and Aelin was in her element. Some of them even had told her they had discovered the bookshop on Facebook and her face morphed into a grin. She had gone back to Rowan and told him and she bragged about her amazing PR capabilities. He, in response, rolled his eyes.  
“You might be the owner, but I put the shop on the map.”  
Rowan chuckled and kept working on his computer. Aelin got closer and sneaked her head under his arm peeking at the screen “So you are ignoring me for paperwork?”  
“Aelin, I am not ignoring you. You know I need to do this and reconcile the invoices.” He turned his head and looked at her.  
“I can handle that for you if you want.”  
“Title of your sex tape.” He kissed her and grinned. Since Aelin had introduced him to Brooklyn 99 he had become obsessed with the show and they have been binge watching it for a while now. Rowan had also started to make ‘title of your sex tapes’ jokes and she was so proud of him.  
“I created a monster.” She laughed leaning a bit more against him.  
He put an arm around her for a moment and kissed her head “Can I just finish this? That you can annoy me all you want.”  
“Fine,” she said, walking away and swaying her hips on purpose “Come and call me when you are done.”  
He grinned “You know what I am about to say, right?”  
“Yeah, title of my sex tape.” And she walked away to play with some of the shelves and let him finish work as he asked.  
It was a couple of hour later when Rowan joined Aelin. She had one shelf completely empty and was now re organising the non fiction section.  
“What are you doing?”  
“I am giving a chance to some of these books to be noticed.” She replied while hauling a small pile to the table “This is the slowest seller section. Fine, we don’t have many titles, but we need to make an effort so it does not lie here forgotten.”  
“Go ahead and have fun. I trust you.” Then he looked at a couple of titles “Let’s choose one title to put in this week’s recommendations.”  
“Great idea.”  
He left her when a customer came in and froze at the sight. He knew that face, he had seen him in a picture Aelin had binned after she moved to his place. Rage surged in him.  
“I am looking for Aelin.” The man said.  
Aelin recognised that voice and jumped and went to the front of the shop and stared at the man.  
“Hi babe,”  
Her hands fisted at her side and Rowan was at her side as soon as he noticed.  
“What are you doing here.” Her voice dangerously low.  
“Saw all you lovely pictures on Instagram and had to come and have a look where my dear ex wife had moved to.” His hands went to his pockets and strutted around the shop admiring it with curiosity “So this is where you work now? A bookshop?” He added in a mocking tone.  
Aelin was now shaking with rage and Rowan placed a hand on her lower back which did not go unnoticed by Chaol.  
“Your big dreams seem to have taken a hit.”  
“Why are you here?” She asked again, reining in the desire to thump him.  
“To take you back of course.”  
“You what?” Aelin was speechless “What makes you think I would want to come back with you?”  
“You love me.” He moved one step closer, ignoring a seething Rowan at her side “I know we had our issues but I am ready to start again. I left her. No more lies. I just want you back. We can have a trial run and then get married again.”  
Aelin was so shocked by the admission that she could not do anything “I can’t.” She finally said. “You lied to me for over a year. You treated me like a monster. Cheated on me and now you expect me to come back to you? Just because detective slut has left you?” She took a step toward him “You have some guts.”  
“Aelin, please,” he grabbed her wrist but Rowan grabbed her as well and pulled her back to him.  
Chaol looked at Rowan and the man straightened up to try and look as imposing as possible. Rowan was a good twenty centimetres taller than Chaol.  
“Seriously? This guy? You are leaving behind your life in London for this guy?”  
Aelin heard the growl coming from Rowan.  
“There is nothing in London for me, Lysandra aside. My life there is a part of the past, same as you are.”  
“Aelin I was wrong okay? And I am sorry for the way I hurt you. But these months without you made me realise I miss you and I want to do all I can to take you back.” He took another step closer to her.  
Aelin started pacing. Her mind was spinning out of control. There was no way she was going back to him. Never. She was furious. “I am not coming back.” She eventually said in a low tone, looking at him in the eyes. “My life is here now. I am looking for a job as a doctor here. And I have Rowan. You had your chance and you blew it. Now it’s too late. You should have fought when there was a chance to fix things. It’s over Chaol.”  
“A job here? Treating what? Sheep? Come on, Aelin, you have more ambition than that.”  
Rowan almost lunged forward but Aelin stopped him and gave him a tender smile.  
“Even on an island people need doctors. This is my life now.” She placed herself between the two men, facing her ex husband “And I love it here.”  
“You can’t be serious.” His tone was getting on Aelin’s nerves.  
“Like a heart attack.” Was her dead pan reply.  
Chaol ran his hand through his hair a move that a long time ago it would have sent her shivers down her spine and then ended up in his arms.  
“It looks like your leg has healed.” She needed some time to refocus.  
He was taken aback by the sudden change of topic “Yeah, Lysandra is a wizard at her job. I am still walking slowly, but I abandoned my cane last week and I will go back to work the next one.”  
“Good.”  
“Aelin, can we please have lunch together and talk? Perhaps without an audience?” And he glared at Rowan.  
“No. I have said all I had to say to you.” She sighed. He was always stubborn “I have no regrets for the divorce. We were not happy anymore. You were a cheating bastard. It was the only option and you need to accept it. I have moved on. Now it’s time you go back to London and do the same.”  
“Did you fuck your boy toy already?”  
Aelin stepped dangerously closer to Chaol “Yes. And you know what?” Another step “He made me scream in a way that you never did all those times he fucked me against a wall.” That was petty but Chaol was out of line and she had enough of him.  
Then she took a step back and joined Rowan and placed an arm around his waist. She could see rage in his eyes.  
“Aelin has been quite clear. I would recommend you to leave this shop immediately and never come back.” Rowan’s voice was flat and she realised she had never heard him like that. It was eerie. He was furious. Probably just as much as she was.  
“Chaol, please…”  
“I loved you.” He shouted “I still do. I don’t deserve all this hate. It was not all my fault. You didn’t even try,” he stepped back. He was about to add something else but gave up in the end. “Fine. Enjoy your pathetic life here. Enjoy your new boy toy, I hope he can handle you. You are not worth it. Not anymore.” And with those words he left.  
As soon as he was out of the shop Aelin let out a sob. Her hand to her mouth and her body shaken by the now full blown sobs.  
Rowan moved a step to her to try and console her but she moved away. She went to the back office and gathered all of her stuff “I need to be alone.”  
“Aelin…” Rowan’s hand was extended in an effort to stop her.  
“Leave me alone. Everyone.” She growled and left the shop.  
Rowan felt his heart break at those words.  
He only moved again when he heard a customer enter the shop.

Working had been a nightmare. Rowan’s mind kept thinking about Aelin’s broken stare. She pushed him away and the whole thing was driving him insane. She wanted space and he was going to give it to her but it did hurt.  
He closed the shop at his usual time and went back home with dread in his guts. She hadn’t texted him and he was getting worried.  
They were meant to go to the ceilidh but that was probably off the table now. And he raged. He was looking forward to dance with her. Once at home he changed into something more comfortable and crashed on the sofa. He lay down and placed a hand on his head and his mobile on his chest, just in case he had news from her.  
He was almost falling asleep when the phone buzzed. He jumped seated and went for the mobile. It was a text from Aelin.  
_I am sorry._  
_Are you okay? Where are you?_  
_Tolsta._ Was all she said.  
Rowan stood and debated what to do next. She had told him where she was. Did it meant it was okay now for him to join her? He paced for half an hour and in the end he decided to go to her. Then he stopped. His car was still in the shop and swore loudly. He had a look at the buses and for a moment he hated island life where buses could be infrequent and stopped after a while. He couldn’t even ask his aunt because she lived outside town and she needed the car to go back home. Finally he decided to get a taxi. It was his only option. He booked the ride and got changed again very quickly.  
The ride was short and fifteen minutes later he spotted her car at the car park and made his way to her, his heart hammering with fear. What if she was going to break up with him? He knew it was a stupid idea but he was terrified.  
Once he reached the beach he noticed her seating in the sand, her arms around her legs and his Glasgow uni hoodie on. He had returned it to her the day before.  
He stopped behind her.  
“Aelin.”  
“I am sorry.” She said in a voice that broke his heart.  
“Can I sit down beside you?”  
She patted the spot on the sand beside her, but never turned to face him.  
Rowan sat down beside her and noticed she was staring out to the sea. Her eyes were puffy and anger resurged in him.  
“I am sorry… I din’t mean…” she leaned her head on his shoulder and her crying resumed.  
His arm went around her and pulled her closer and rocked her in silence.  
“He made me so mad.” And another sob rippled through her “I am so tired of hurting for him.”  
Rowan wanted to say something but at the moment he had nothing that could help her.  
“I gave him ten years of my life. Ten. And it just went down the toilet.” She breathed in deeply and tried to regain some control “what’s the point in falling in love. It just ends in pain anyway.”  
Rowan froze at those words. She could not be really thinking about giving up on them.  
Aelin stare met his “Even us. What’s the point? Knowing my luck you’ll grow tired of me in a few years and bugger off to a new woman.”  
Rowan kissed her “No.” He said cupping her face and forcing Aelin to stare at him “No. I understand that right now you are in pain, but you can’t give up on us.” And he kissed her again to make his point “I don’t know what fate has decided for us, but I know that I will do my very best to make you happy. You are my everything and I am not giving up on you. Don’t even think about it.”  
“You say that now—“  
He stopped her “Aelin I know my feelings. I am in this for the long run. I love you. And I have never been surer of my feeling in my life. You have to believe me.”  
“I am scared.” She confessed, snuggling to him “What if we are going too fast? We have known each other for only a few months. We already live together and share the same bed. We said to each other things that people who have been going out for a few months don’t usually say. I am terrified.” She looked up at him, fearing the hurt she would see in his eyes.  
His hands never left her face “I am scared too. After Lyria left me I told myself never again. I was willing to be on my own forever because I could not cope with the idea of committing so much again. And then you appeared in my life and all my resolutions went to hell.” A gentle kiss on her lips “I have the same fears as you. I love you. Madly” then he smiled at her “If we were in a fantasy we would now confess each other we are soulmates and I would praise our love with an epic speech.”  
“But we are not…” she added sadly.  
“No, but it doesn’t change what I feel for you. The fact that no matter how crazy it sounds, I am sure about us. Somehow my soul is telling me you are its missing half. And it frightens me, but I am not giving up on you just because I am scared.”  
Aelin caressed his face and stared at him in silence.  
“If you want to slow down, go back to your room or find your own place, I will understand.”  
She shook her head, tears flowing down her face “No. No, never. I am fine just the way things are. Chaol’s words hit me more that I was expecting. I thought I was over all the pain, but it looks I am not.”  
“You were not ready. You were not expecting him to come into our shop and say those horrible things to you.” He pulled her face to his chest and hugged her tight “I was terrified when you left. I thought I lost you somehow. And it was the scariest feeling ever.”  
“I thought about breaking up with for a minute. I was trying to convince myself that not being attached to anyone was the better option. Then I tried to picture not having you at my side and I was even more scared, because I can’t.”  
“I almost punched him.” Confessed Rowan, lingering in the feeling of her body against his “I have never punched anyone in my life but for him I would have made an exception.”  
He heard her chuckle and the ice gripping his heart finally thawed away.  
“That would have been a show I would have paid to see.”  
“I ruined your birthday.” She sniffled.  
“You did not. Police officer did. We just blame him.” He kissed her head “being here with you is perfect enough. You are my most precious present.”  
Aelin laughed “That is so cheesy.”  
He followed her “I know. I am shocked. See what you did to me?” He felt her hands cover his on her waist “You transformed me into a man who sings epic declarations of love and says cheesy things. You ruined me.”  
They were silent for a while and then Aelin spoke again.  
“Ro? I applied for a job as senior emergency surgeon.” She had applied for the job a few days before but hadn’t been able to tell him. It felt like a betrayal.  
He turned to her and smiled “Good.”  
“You are not mad at me?”  
He squeezed tighter “Why on earth? It sounds like an amazing opportunity and I could never be mad at you for choosing to do what you love.”  
“But the shop—“  
“You don’t worry about the shop. Go, get the job and rattle the stars. I will be very proud of you.”  
“It feels like a betrayal.”  
And Rowan understood her uncertainty.  
“No it’s not. Not even close. You are not leaving me or abandoning me without reason. For as much as I hate the man, Chaol was right. Working in a bookshop is not for you. Not with the skills you have. The hospital will be very lucky to have someone with your experience.” And he meant it. Every single word. He wanted her to succeed “unlike some people, I am not scared of a successful woman at my side.” And she finally grinned at him and light reached her eyes still red from the tears. He kissed her forehead.  
“Ro?”  
“Yes?”  
“I am not in the mood for the ceilidh tonight. Can we just stay at home and watch Netflix or read? And snuggle?”  
“We can also order food and have a very quiet birthday evening. I would love that very much.”  
“Thank you.  
Rowan just kissed her. He’d do anything to make her happy. To make sure he could see that wonderful smile on her every single day of their life together.  
Then he finally stood “Come on. Get your arse off the sand and let’s go home. We have season five of Brooklyn nine nine to tackle.”  
She stood, stopped right in front of him and kissed him “I love you.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 21 is here.  
> Chaol is back for a quick last scene. I swear this is the last time we see him. The reason he is still here is because i had a few things to carry over from chapter 20. 
> 
> Aelin has a few interesting phone calls and in the end, well... something really great happens to her.
> 
> I hope you will love it.

Rowan was on his way to the shop when he noticed a figure leaning against the door. His arms at his chest, clearly waiting for him. He thought he was a customer to start with but once he got closer he realised who it was: Chaol. Aelin’s ex.  
He already hated the man, but after the encounter the previous day he was ready to punch the guy.  
Rowan went to the door and ignored Chaol.  
“I am looking for a book, can you help me?”  
Rowan kept pretending he was not there. Got in the shop and shut the door in his face. Switched on everything and took his time to actually open. There were no actual customers so he could open five minutes later, just to piss him off.  
In the end he caved and went to the door and opened and Chaol entered the shop.  
“You are five minutes late, is that how you do business around here?”  
Rowan went to his computer and started working and continued to ignore the man.  
“The customer service in this place is quite bad, I must admit.” Chaol started walking around the shop.  
“How can I help you, sir?” Said Rowan through gritted teeth. He had never punched anyone in his life but that morning it was about to become a first. Very quickly.  
“Yes you can.” Chaol turned to him “let her go.”  
Rowan grabbed a pencil and almost snapped it in two.  
“See? She is still mad at me at the moment, but she will come around eventually and realise she made a mistake.” He played with a book and put it back all squint on purpose “I have known her for ten years. You have known her for what? A few months? She will tire of this place, this life and of you. She will come back to me. So just save yourself some heartache and let her go.”  
“She made her choice.”  
Chaol kept walking the length of the shop “And she can’t be a doctor here. She has an amazing career in London. She will get bored after one day. If you really love her as you claim you will see the damage that this job will do to her. It will make her miserable.”  
“Yes, the amazing job in London that denied her the promotion she deserved.”  
Chaol looked at him stunned and Rowan’s lips curved up wickedly.  
“Oh so you didn’t know.” Now it was his turn to be petty “She was up for a very big promotion but she didn’t get it and it destroyed her. I guess she did not tell you because you were so busy with the night shift that she preferred not to burden you.”  
Chaol’s hands fisted.  
“And between a job delusion and an asshole of an husband she decided to pack her life and leave.” Rowan’s eyebrows lifted at the man expression. Chaol did not know any of this. Interesting. “She was quite a mess when she got here, but she is better, thanks to me. Because I look after her.”  
“Aelin is needy and used to a standard of life that you can’t give her. Definitely not with the money you make from a pathetic bookshop.”  
Rowan breathed in deeply “She seems satisfied with what I can giver her and I know needy and Aelin is definitely not that. ” He smirked, he was reaching extreme level of pettiness “And so far I have been able to satisfy her with _everything_ I gave her. Even sex. For example last night when I took her against the wall she loves so much. More than once. The way she screamed my name…”  
Aelin was probably going to kill him but mean Rowan had taken over his body. “I had to show her what a fulfilled sex life looks like. Apparently something else you lacked as a husband.”  
“I always satisfied her.”  
“Sure, did you ever bother ask what she liked? Her fantasies? Go along with them? Or you just went on top like the proper alpha male you think you are, did your job and went back to sleep? Because it sounds like you were a self serving bastard in bed as well.”  
Chaol moved a step closer to Rowan trying to be intimidating. A useless feat when the person in front of you is twenty centimetres taller than you and almost twice your size.  
“What?” Asked Rowan in a flat, annoyed tone.  
“Did she tell about her life before me? That she was a bit of a slut—“  
But Chaol did not manage to finish that sentence. A fist connected with his mouth, then Rowan’s hand was at his collar, lifted him and slammed Chaol against the wall “do not finish that sentence. Don’t you dare call her like that ever again.” His grip tightened “I swear I will file for a restraining order if you don’t leave this island as soon as possible. You have done enough damage.”  
He let go of Chaol and the man tried to protest but Rowan’s stare kept him in place.  
“Fuck her all you want. She will grow tired of you very quickly.”  
Rowan almost went for a second round but Chaol stopped him “She will put career before you and family. Mark my words.” And with that he left.  
Rowan counted till ten and walked back to the counter and grabbed the phone and dialled Aelin’s number.  
 _“Do you really can’t stay without me for a whole morning?”_  
“I just punched your ex husband.”  
The line went silent for a moment and Rowan feared he was in trouble, that he had crossed a line.  
 _“Did you take a video? Why was I not there to witness such a magical moment?”_  
Rowan was puzzled. He was expecting Aelin to shout at him .  
 _“I’ll be there in five. I want all the details.”_ And she hung up.

As promised five minutes later she walked to him and kissed him deeply. Definitely not the reaction he was expecting.  
“You are not mad.”  
“I was impressed that you did not thump him yesterday to be honest.” She sat in the chair beside him “What did he do? Why was he here? And why the asshole is still on the island?”  
“He told me to let you go. That I can’t give you the life you deserve and added that you will tire of living here, this life and of me. Oh yes, he also added that as a pathetic bookshop owner I can’t give you the life of luxury you crave.”  
“What a lot of pish.”  
Rowan laughed “You picking up Scots words is very sexy.”  
“Yeah, sure, now keep talking about the asshole” she jabbed his arm with a finger.  
“And then I turned petty.”  
Aelin’s mouth fell open. That was not Rowan.  
“I might have bragged a bit.”   
And she laughed at his admission. “What did you say?”  
“That you seemed very satisfied with what I have been giving you so far and I might have added that you were definitely happy when I took you against the wall last night while you were screaming my name. Multiple times.” Aelin noticed the top of his ears going red.  
“I can’t believe I missed this amazing fight.” And she kissed him.  
“He called you a slut” and she felt him tense.  
“Oh yeah. He never approved of my life before him.”  
“That’s when I punched him. And I threatened to file a restraining order if he didn’t leave the island as soon as possible.”   
Aelin pushed him against the wall and kissed him hard “Did I tell you today how much I love you?”  
“Not even once.”  
“Let me make this up to you.” She dragged him to his office. Once inside she pushed him to the table and started kissing him. His hands went on her butt and dragged her close.  
“I love you.”  
“I don’t think I heard that properly.”  
They made out for a good ten minutes before Rowan decided it was time to break apart and go back to work.  
They went back to work and Aelin kept smiling at him showing him that she definitely approved what he did.

She was busy with some work Rowan had assigned her when the door opened and Aelin squealed in delight when she noticed who had just walked in. She ran to the woman and hugged her.  
“Lorcan and I have checked out and we’ll be on our way soon. We just thought we had to pop in to say goodbye.”  
“Thank you. I am sorry for last night. It was my fault I was not feeling great.” Apologised Aelin.  
“No worries. The ceilidh was amazing, but we left halfway through it. We were exhausted.”  
“Rowan.” Called Aelin “He is somewhere in his office.”  
Two minutes later he emerged and he smiled when he saw the couple “Hi guys.”   
Lorcan nodded to him and Elide waved at Rowan quite happily.  
“Sorry about last night,” and his arm went around Aelin’s waist “Aelin wasn’t well.”  
“She told us. It’s fine.” The dark-haired woman replied “We just came here to say bye. We need to go back to Glasgow and we need to leave soon. We have to drive all the way down to Tarbert to catch the ferry to Uig on Skye.”  
“It was nice meeting you.”  
“It was,” and Elide turned to Aelin, “please keep in touch. If you guys ever come to Glasgow, let us know. We have a spare bedroom.”  
“I will let you know about the rugby. We can go to a Scotland home game together.” Added Lorcan.  
Rowan smiled widely “definitely I need some decent rugby and I would love to go back to Glasgow for a few days.”  
Eventually the four of them said their goodbyes and Elide and Lorcan left.  
“They are such a nice couple. Although Lorcan should learn to smile a bit.” Aelin commented going back to her task.  
Rowan hugged her tight and then he disappeared back to what he was doing beforehand.  
Aelin finished to prepare the orders that had come in and began sending email to the people who had ordered books.  
“Ro?” She called him and he came back. She showed him the computer “there are some new releases of fantasy books that are quite interesting. I think we should have them in.”  
Rowan quickly looked at the titles and smiled back to her “Go ahead. Let’s start with two copies each. If you think they are good let’s order them in. I trust you.”  
“Really?” She was beaming. So far he had been the one deciding what to order. She was very chuffed that he had let her do it for once and that he trusted her instincts.  
His hands grabbed her hips “You have good taste in books.” And he kissed her and moved away again.  
She was in the middle of the order when her phone buzzed with an unknown number.  
“Hello?”  
 _“I am looking for miss Aelin Galathynius.”_  
“Speaking.”  
 _“My name is Dr McIver. You applied for a A &E job a while ago. Am I correct?”_  
Aelin’s heart started hammering in her chest. She saw Rowan coming out of the office and she gestured to him to join to her.   
“Yes, I did.”  
He looked at her as if to say ‘what’ and she scribbled job on a piece of paper. He smiled and went behind her and held her from behind.  
 _“I am contacting you because I am very fascinated by your resume and I’d like to invite you for an interview.”_  
She started jumping in Rowan’s arms.  
“I’d love to.”  
 _“I have a busy schedule tomorrow, but I can see you at 9am.”_  
Aelin grabbed Rowan’s hand and his look was of one deep love.  
“That is perfect for me.”  
 _“Fantastic. Once you arrive at the hospital ask for me and I will come and get you.”_  
“Thank you sir, I will see you tomorrow.”  
The man greeted her back and hung up.  
Aelin turned to Rowan and screamed “The job!” And she jumped. He grabbed her in his arms and lifted her up and twirled on the spot, kissing her.  
“I have an interview tomorrow morning for the job I applied for.”  
“They will love you.” He kissed her again, “I am so proud of you.”  
Then it hit Aelin and she froze “Oh shit.”  
“What?” He asked worried at the change in her expression.  
“I am panicking. What if I can’t do the job? What if I am aiming too high and I applied for a job that I am not qualified for? And now I am freaking out.” She started breathing hard and he brushed her back.  
“You can’t be afraid to be successful.”  
Aelin looked up at him, her eyes wide “Did you just quote Jake?”  
He kissed her head “I did. I love the scene where he convinces her to take the lieutenant exam.”  
She grinned back at him.  
“I can’t believe they called me.” She leaned back and sighed hard “Ro, this is big. But I need to calm down. I don’t have the job yet.”  
“You will.”  
Then her gaze turned sad “I will miss working here, though.”  
Rowan’s hands cupped her face “You are doing the right thing. You can come and help a bit when you have time off. This is your shop too.” His hands twined in her hair “I will miss you too, but at least I will be able to do paperwork in peace.”  
She jabbed her finger to his side and left him.

The next morning Aelin woke up early and was panicking. She got out of bed without waking Rowan and went to the living room and paced. A part of her was excited. The idea of being a doctor again was amazing, but a part of her was terrified and she did not know why. She had a very fitful sleep and not even Rowan’s arms had helped her in any way. She was feeling horrible and that was not the best way to face an interview. She breathed deeply and sank on the sofa.   
Now she felt sick.   
In the morning silence of the house she heard Rowan’s feet padding behind her.  
“Aelin…”  
She turned and stared at his sleepy face, and tousled hair. He only had his boxers briefs on and all of a sudden the sight of him chased away all of her fears.   
She stood and went to him and kissed him fiercely. His arms folded around her and lifted Aelin and together they sat down on the sofa.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked, pulling away from the kiss.  
“I was panicking,” she gave him a wanton smile “then you walked in, in such an amazing state of undress and my fear are gone.”  
He pulled her closer and her hand landed on his beautiful naked chest. Her mouth deposited gentle kisses on his shoulder and inhaled his scent. Pine and snow. All of a sudden her mind calmed down and the panic subsided.  
“I should ask Dr McIver if I can take you with me for the interview, sitting on your lap. That will help a lot.”  
He chuckled “I don’t think it’s doable.” His hand was on her back “But I can accompany you. I will wait outside of course, but I can be there with you.”  
She looked up at him and her heart melt “What about the shop?”  
“It will be fine for a couple of hours.” He kissed her head “you are more important.”  
Aelin almost cried. How on earth did she end up with such an amazing man? “I would love that very much.”  
“Good.”  
She stood “I need a shower.” And wiggled a finger to him “fancy coming?” She was ready for him to say no again, but surprise caught her when he stood up and took her hand.  
“But no shenanigans. It’s not our getaway and we don’t have time.”  
Aelin nodded and her heart raced.  
She walked to the bathroom and Rowan followed her. She turned to him and slowly she peeled off her t-shirt and adored the look on his face. Then she proceeded to remove her bottoms and finally stood naked in front of him and she noticed hunger and desire in his eyes.  
“Your turn.” She challenged him while entering the shower box and opening the water. For a moment he stood on the threshold and stared at her, water running down her naked body and he had to concentrate very hard not to take here and there. There was no time and he had other plans.   
Finally he moved and removed his briefs. Aelin turned and finally saw him for the first time and her breath hitched. Damn the man was perfect. Ideas started to gather in her mind but they didn’t have time for that. She looked up at him “You are still not inside the shower.”  
“I was just enjoying the look on your face.” He finally stepped in and joined under the water. Rowan noticed her stare and grabbed her wrists “hands on my chest, Fireheart. We don’t have time for dillydallying.”  
She kissed his chest and her hands roved on his muscles. Oh the things she would love to do to him.  
He grabbed the shampoo, then turned her and began washing her hair.  
Aelin ground her backside agains him. His mouth was against her ear “Very bad idea.” And he put a bit of space between them and Aelin groaned in frustration.  
While he was washing her hair, Aelin was now washing her body. She could not have Rowan do that. They would never leave the shower and she had an interview to go to. He turned her and she snuggled against him, his mouth pressing delicate kisses on her head “You will be wonderful.”  
In his arms, she relaxed. They stayed under the water for a bit longer until Rowan closed the jets and left the shower. He grabbed their towels and passed one to Aelin.  
She gave him one last look before he covered himself with his towel and Aelin had to press her legs tighter together. She took her towel and went for their room. At least her mind was now clear of the fear for the interview, but such thoughts had been replaced by some sexier ones. She got dressed, desperate to do something. Maybe the shower together had not been a great idea. All she could think about now was him.  
She breathed hard and began drying her hair.  
“Let me help you.” Rowan joined her and took the hairdryer from her hands and started drying it for her.  
“Head down.” She bent over and he continued his job. Luckily he had put some clothes on. Once her hair was dry he brushed it as well, untangling the knots that had formed.  
“I could have done this myself.”  
“I know.”   
Once he was done she went back to her old room looking for a decent enough outfit. She found what she was looking for and got dressed. Slowly she had moved the clothes she used the most in the side of the closet that Rowan had given her, but she had kept the stuff she used very little in her old bedroom.  
She had to look professional so she went for a black cigarette skirt, a light blue blouse and a black jacket. Added a pair of earrings to the ensemble and eventually she decided to put a very thin layer of makeup on.  
Once she reached the living room, Rowan was there waiting for her. He had jeans, a shirt and a leather jacket and he took her breath away.   
He finally noticed her and she realised she had the same effect on him.  
He moved a step closer “You are…”  
“It feels so weird.”  
“Stunning. You are stunning.”  
“I haven’t dressed like this in a lifetime.” She confessed while looking for her heels. Then she turned to him “Why are you all nicely dressed?”  
“I can’t accompany my girlfriend to her big day dressed in a t-shirt and looking like a slob when she is so gorgeous.”  
She looked up at him “you could get out of the house clad in a garbage bag and you would still manage to have every single woman turn their head and stare at you.”  
He grinned.   
She grabbed her purse and she was ready to go.   
A moment later they were in the car and Aelin’s anxiety began to come back. Rowan noticed that and his hand went on her knee squeezing it gently.  
His presence was a calming anchor at her side.   
Not long after they reached the hospital. Before getting off the car Rowan pulled her to him and kissed her deeply “I am at your side.”  
Aelin nodded and hand in hand they entered the A&E.  
As requested, Aelin asked for Dr McIver at the reception and a few minutes later she arrived.  
“Miss Galathynius.” He extended his hand and Aelin shook it back.  
“This is my partner. He drove me here.”  
Rowan shook his hand with the man.  
“Come on, both of you.”  
They took the lift and reached the floor where McIver’s office was.  
In front of the door Rowan took her hand “There’s a few chairs. I’ll wait here. I have a book.” He kissed her head “I love you.” He whispered.  
She nodded and followed the man in his office.  
“Please take a seat.” Said the man pointing at the chair in front of him “Please don’t be nervous. This is more a chat to get to know you.” He grabbed what she guessed was her resume “I must say I am impressed, miss Galathynius. You have a remarkable skillset and experience. Definitely something we need here and that we could put to really good use.”  
“Thank you sir.” Aelin felt her body relax a bit.  
“Can I ask you a question?”  
“Of course.”  
“Why did you leave London? The A&E in a place like Stornoway can get busy but cannot be compared to working in one of the best trauma hospital in London.” He stared at her “Your experience would be like a blessing for us, but we are not a trauma centre. I am not sure we can offer you the same level of challenge that a London hospital could.”  
Aelin took a deep breath and fisted her hands in her laps to stop them from shaking. She was expecting such a remark. It was perfectly understandable. “I know sir.” Another breath. It was time to tell the truth “I was up for a big promotion to become the head of the A&E and trauma department. Alas, that dream was stolen from me. My job was given to…” how could she put it without anger colouring her voice “let’s just say that the person who was chosen was not picked for his merits but more because of who is father was.” Tears threatened to well in her eyes but she fought them back. “The news hit me hard. I… lost interest in my job. So I took a sabbatical and then officially left about two weeks ago.” It still hurt like hell “I needed to get away for other reasons as well. And I ended up here. My life is here now, sir. I know this will not be a major trauma centre but I am not worried.” She took another breath “It will be a challenge in itself because it will be a new role for me with a new team. All I want to do is be a doctor. It does not matter if it is a big hospital or a small one, I just want to help people.”  
The man smiled and she relaxed hoping that her speech had gotten through him.  
“Our current senior emergency surgeon is retiring soon and to be honest with you, we need fresh blood. He was amazing at his job but quite set in his ways. Our A&E might not be London, but we have our set of challenges. We are the main major hospital for the entirety of the Hebrides. We get people airlifted here from the smaller islands. On a busy day our A&E needs to work efficiently. Our beds supply is not endless.”  
“I have spent many days and nights working in an overwhelmed A&E with probably ten times the influx of patients. I perfectly understand the challenges. I have helped train paramedics to form better triage stations at big accidents sites so that only grave patients would be sent to us. It was working before but it was not efficient enough. I spent years honing my team to run like a perfect oiled machine and deal with crisis in a way that would not endanger patients.”  
The man nodded and Aelin felt like things were going well.   
“Do you have experience in training interns?”  
“Yes. Being in charge of interns was another one of my roles. I did their rosters but also took one or two under my wing and taught them.”   
“It seems like you had your hands quite full.”  
Aelin’s hands fisted again. She had to hold her temper in check.  
“My boss, loved to… delegate.” She sighed “And that’s as nicely I can put it without being disrespectful.”  
The man laughed and Aelin relaxed again. It was good. It was going well.  
“And you have no intention of returning to London.” It was not a question.  
“No sir.” Of that she was positive. “My life is here. My partner is here as well. This is my home now.”  
And saying that out loud felt amazing. Lewis was now her home. And it had taken only a couple of months.   
“If you are successful when will you be ready to begin?”  
“Straight away. I am working at my partner’s bookshop at the moment but I can start whenever you want me to. And I have no issues with night shifts either.Also my partner and I don’t have kids at the moment so I am very flexible. We might in the future, but at the moment we are free.”  
“That’s good to hear.” He smiled again “You can relax now. You have done well.”  
Aelin breathed out and relaxed.  
“I have two more people to interview this afternoon. But I must say miss Galathynius that I am impressed by you. I will let you know tomorrow. I intend to make my decision tonight after the other two interviews.”  
The man stood and Aelin followed him.  
He extended his hand “it was a pleasure, Miss Galathynius.”   
“Thank you for the opportunity, sir.”  
And at that she left.  
As soon as she was out of the door Rowan stood and opened his arms for her and she slammed against his chest.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yes.” She nodded “He will let me know tomorrow.”  
“I am pretty sure you charmed him completely and you will get the job.”  
Aelin pulled away and grabbed his hand “let’s get out of here.”

The next day Aelin was in the bookshop with Rowan but was having problems to concentrate. Her eyes kept flicking to her phone that was right beside the keyboard. She had no idea when Dr McIver would call and she was getting anxious. The wait was killing her.  
The previous night she had phoned Lysandra and she had told her about her job interview and the woman had threatened to come and inflict endless pain to the man if he didn’t give her the job. Her friend’s support has been incredible and she wished Lysandra was there.  
Rowan had been wonderful as well. After the interview they had gone home and changed into more comfortable clothes and gone back to the shop but at night he had taken her out on a date. They went to dinner then to An Lanntair for a movie and after had a log walk along the marina and the Lews castle grounds. That morning they had another special shower together, always with their boundaries and realised that although waiting was driving her insane, it was also deepening their bond somehow. They had spent their time talking and getting to know each other, but also got to know their bodies. Rowan had taken on him the challenge of learning what made her feel pleasure. He had started worshipping her body and leave Aelin a blubbering mess. All of that without ever doing the final deed. And she had loved it. He had allowed her to reciprocate but forbade her to use her mouth.  
She was dreaming about the previous night when her phone went off and her heart started racing in her heart.  
“Rowan.” She called for him as soon as she recognised the number.  
He was at her side in a second and by her stare he realised what it was.  
“Hello?”  
 _“Miss Galathynius? It’s Dr. McIver.”_  
Aelin was positive she had stopped breathing.  
“Hello.”  
 _“So, I have news for you.”_  
She grabbed Rowan’s hand and squeezed as tight as humanly possible.  
 _“Do you think your partner could do without you at the bookshop? Because my colleagues and I would be very pleased if you could lead our A &E.”_  
Aelin froze for a moment. She had heard it correctly. They wanted her.  
“I think my partner would be very happy to get rid of me.” And she smiled at Rowan with love.  
 _“That is fantastic. I will see you at 8 tomorrow. I will send you in a moment an email with the details of your contract including as well your salary offer. If it’s all ok for you we will finalise the paperwork tomorrow morning.”_  
“8 tomorrow sounds perfect. Thank you sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”  
 _“I am looking forward to have you in our team.”_  
Then the conversation finished and Aelin turned stunned to Rowan who had the biggest smile on his face.  
“Told you.”  
“I can’t believe it.” He hands were shacking. A few minutes later her phone pinged and she noticed it was an email from Dr McIver as promised.  
She opened and read the detail of her contract and gasped when she noticed her salary.  
“Holy shit, look.” She said showing the phone to Rowan.  
“Guess I will be the kept man.” His hand brushed the back of his head.  
“Ro,” she said to him “This is friggin loads of money. I was not making this much in London.” Her head was spinning.  
“This is a higher position. You would have made this much or more you had gotten the job you deserved.” He told her with his usual logic.  
“I need to sit down.”  
He pushed the chair to her. She looked up at him and beamed at the pride in his eyes the she hugged him “This is amazing.”  
“You deserve it.” He kissed her head.  
Then customers came in and they broke apart and Rowan went to offer their help while Aelin was still on her chair and was busy texting Lysandra with the news.

She had spent the entire day floating on air. She was happy that she felt like in a musical and was about to burst into song. Her life was finally back on track.  
She and Rowan finally closed the shop and headed home together from the bookshop for the last time.   
All of sudden her mobile went off and she looked at it and stared at the London area code.  
“A London number?”  
Aelin accepted the call “Hello?”  
 _“Aelin?”_ Said the familiar voice.  
“Dr Thomson.”  
Why was her old boss calling her now? Why today of all days?  
“ _I hope I am not disturbing.”_  
“No you are fine.” Anger started to flare up.  
 _“I have good news for you.”_  
I highly doubt, was what Aelin thought.  
 _“We need you back.”_  
Aelin’s heart raced.  
“Since when? I thought you had your perfect candidate and you did not need my skills.”  
She had to calm down.  
 _“Well, we had an issue with him. Kind of a sex scandal.”_  
Aelin stopped dead. It was not a secret that Kieran, the guy they had chosen instead of her, had a penchant for bedding all the nurses and female doctors he could. Everyone knew.   
“Fucked the wrong person, did he?”  
 _“I can’t go into detail but rest assured he had been removed from the position and we have decided to offer it to you. You were the best candidate after all. It was just politics that stopped us.”_  
“No, it was fucking money,” her rage burst free “His father promised you all a nice wee sum in exchange of his son to get the job. Kieran was an idiot. Now he fucked up, literally, and you think I will crawl back? Do you have an inkling of how much you insulted me? And now you phone me and tell me that you want me back? How the fuck you dare?” She was now shouting and Rowan’s hands were on her shoulder and she thanked him for his presence.  
 _“Aelin, let me explain. I voted for you. I had your back, but alas the board preferred the money. I had a fight with the board. It was not fair what they did to you. You were one of my best doctors and I need you back.”_  
“Well, you can keep your apologies and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine. I am not coming back to London. I am in Scotland on an island and just got offered a job as senior emergency surgeon. So thank you for calling me but I respectfully decline.”  
 _“You can’t be serious. You can’t waste your skills in a small hospital. Don’t be an idiot, Aelin. Don’t waste your career in a backwater place.”_  
Aelin was officially tired to hear people tell her that she was wasting her life.  
“What I do with my life is none of your business anymore. I have resigned, I am not your employee any longer.”  
 _“I’ll give you a raise on top of the salary for the post.”_  
“Sir, you can beg all you want and try to entice me with more money. My answer will always be no. There are patients here as well. That’s all I need.”  
 _“Aelin, what can I do to convince you?”_  
“Nothing. I actually should thank you. Here I found the life I want, with the perfect man. Not getting the job was the best thing that happened to me.”  
Her ex boss tried a few more tactics but Aelin was relentless. She was happy. She was home. She had all she needed right there.  
Once the conversation finished she looked at Rowan and her heart skipped a beat. He was her home.  
“Are you okay?”  
She sighed “I think I just reached closure.”she admitted as his arms went around her “You know the saying when a door closes another one opens?”  
He nodded.  
“Another one did open and I just realised that it was the one I needed. I hurt for a long time for not getting that job, but I just realised that without that, all of this would have never happened. I would still be in London, pining over the asshole and grieving over a job I did not get. I would still be a mess and utterly unhappy. A massive weight just lifted from my chest.”  
“I am a very lucky man.” He murmured against her head.  
“How so?”  
“Because you chose me.”  
“And I am lucky because you chose me.” She looked up at him “we chose each other.”  
“So, why did he phone you?” His arm went around her shoulder and they resumed their walk home.  
“Oh the guy they choose over me stuck his manhood where it was not meant to and apparently caused a big sex scandal. I need to phone Lysandra for more details. She will know all the gossip.”  
Rowan laughed.  
Once in front of the door Rowan kissed her deeply “I think I need a shower.”  
“Oh, do you?”  
He lifted her in his arms and they got into the house.  
“Do your worst, Whitethorn.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 22 is here.  
> This is number one of the three important chapters. i wrote it a while ago and i edited about 8 times. It's a big chapter (in every sense, almost 7k words) for our two lovebirds.
> 
> WARNING: **This chapter contains smut** not heavy but yeah... they finally have their getaway. Oh yes, and there is also a tons of fluff.  
> Now... I am terrified at the idea of posting this chapter. This is the first time for me writing smut. I have read plenty of it but never written it. So I am panicking, I really hope it's not too cringy because this chapter means a lot and i want it too be good.
> 
> I really, really hope you will love this.
> 
> As usual, thank you to everyone who so far has commented or left kudos. Love you. Even every single reader who just passed through. Thank you <3
> 
> Rowan sings a song to Aelin and it's this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfDtTHC8BoY. Please listen to this beauty, and you will understand Aelin's reaction. 
> 
> We also get to know Malcolm, Aelin's second at the hospital. He is amazing and I love him already. Hope you will too. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter.

A few months had passed and summer had given way to winter and November had arrived.  
Aelin had slowly settled into her new job and fell in love with it. It was not as fast paced as London but that was a positive. She had the time to get to know properly all her colleagues and realised they were like a family. It was a small team and she could not believe that they were all getting along. In London with a much, much bigger team she had to deal with constant drama and dislikes.  
They had welcomed her in the group from day one and that had made everything easier.  
Malcolm, her second had showed her the ropes in the first few weeks while she was adjusting and since then he had been an amazing support. She had also discovered he preferred men and had a massive crush on Rowan and Aelin still laughed sometimes at the image of when Malcolm saw Rowan for the first time. He had walked straight into the A&E glass windows because he was too busy staring at her boyfriend. She and Malcolm had become great friends as well and he was slowly turning into the male and islander version of Lysandra. She was also impressed by the man’s skills. He had served as medical officer in the Navy and he was basically impossible to scare or to disgust. He was incredible in an emergency situation and Aelin loved the way he could keep his head straight.  
She had also taken under her wing an intern that reminded her a lot of a younger self.  
Finally after a long time she actually loved again going to work in an hospital and that had made all the difference.  
Not working in the bookstore felt weird and on a couple of occasions she had spent her days off there with Rowan. Her shifts were not crazy and they could easily see each other, a part from when she was due to work the night shift. But she had realised that somehow their relationship was getting stronger. They began cherishing a bit more the moments they had together. They still hadn’t done the deed but Rowan’s excuse was that if she wanted snow in their getaway they had to wait for winter. 

That morning in late November her alarm went off and she slammed it shut quickly. It was Sunday and Rowan was not going to work. She made a move to get out of bed but an arm pinned her down.  
“Where are you going?” He was sleeping on his belly and his face was smashed in the pillow and his eyes were still closed.  
“Some of us have to go to work.”  
He grunted in response.  
Aelin leaned over and kissed his disheveled silver hair.  
She tried to move his arm but he pinned her down a bit harder.  
“Ro…”  
He grunted again and finally sat up and Aelin smiled. She loved seeing him in the mornings. He was always prime and proper during the day but mornings with his sleepy face and his messy silver hair, were her little treasure. The man was sex on legs even after waking up.  
“You don’t have to wake up for me.”  
“I got something for you.”  
Aelin gave him a questioning look.  
He smiled and gave her a piece of paper. She opened it and saw a name and dates.  
“Our getaway. That’s the name of the location and the dates I’d like.” He explained with still a sleepy voice.  
Aelin heart hammered in her chest. It was in a week. She had to make sure she could get time off. She waited months for this she and had no intention to postpone.  
“There are quite some cool lodges for holidays.” He smirked and heat polled between her legs.  
“I’ll make sure I get time off. I’ll beg Malcolm but I’ll have those days off.”  
“Good.” And he collapsed back in bed.  
“Go back to sleep.” She kissed him and left for a shower. A big grin on her face.  
Finally.

Aelin in the end had managed to get time off. Malcolm had offered to take her shifts after she had explained why she needed the time off. As a thank you she had offered to work two of his weekends and the man was even happier.  
Aelin and Rowan were now in the car toward their destination. They had taken the first ferry of the morning and were now back on the mainland. During the night it had snowed a lot and that’s why Rowan was at the wheel.  
Aelin had found an amazing cottage for a wonderful price. Being low season and all.  
They got a lodge in an isolated location with quite some luxuries. One of them was a working fireplace in their room. They had a massive kitchen according to the pictures but most of all, she was excited to try the small pool. Yes, in the back on the cottage there was a room with a small heated pool, with a floor to ceiling window. She had some plans already on how to use that room.  
They arrived an hour later. The place was near Lochinver. The town was covered in snow and Aelin was excited. They stopped in the village for food and then set off again.  
Once they arrived at their lodge Rowan complimented Aelin for the choice. There was nothing around them but woods and it felt like the perfect place, just like they had agreed.  
Aelin got off the car and was glad Rowan had convinced her about getting proper winter clothes. It was cold and she was looking forward to spend the four days in bed with him or cozying up in front of the fire. If they never left the lodge for nothing but food she would be happy. That’s all she needed.  
They took their luggage and entered the house and Aelin’s mouth fell open in surprise once she was inside.  
The place looked even better than the photos and everything was in wood. The bed looked like the ooziest place on Earth with thick fluffy blankets.  
“I love it.” Said Rowan stopping behind her and dropping his bags “You have good taste, Fireheart.” Aelin removed her shoes and ran to see the pool room.  
Once she got there she stopped “Rowan.” She shouted for his attention. He was at her side a moment later.  
“I have so many naughty ideas that you can’t imagine, Buzzard.”  
Rowan laughed and held her close “We’ll make sure to cover them all.” A soft kiss “Thank you for this. It’s the perfect birthday present.”  
She looked sternly in his eyes “No more hesitations.” Her finger wiggling in his face “This is our romantic getaway. We have snow and nature. All the conditions have been met. You promised.”  
He kissed her deeply and lifted her in his arms “I promised.”

They spent the afternoon outside. Aelin had convinced Rowan to do a snowman that now lived in front of their cottage. He took her out walking and they went for a very late lunch at the pie place in Lochinver.  
Eventually they got back to their accommodation and in the end they had a quiet afternoon and evening. Rowan had moved the big comfy chair in front of the window. She sat in his lap and they read for the rest of the day, watching the snow fall.  
Rowan was tired from the driving, he had done it before but the heavy snow made driving more challenging. so they had decided to relax as much as possible.  
It was later on that they decided to call it a night and Aelin smiled wickedly. She grabbed something from her suitcase and ran for the bathroom, locking the door. When she came out she noticed that Rowan was already in bed, reading.  
He finally noticed her and she loved his stunned face.  
She was wearing the most outrageous nightgown she had been able to find. It was black and lacy and covering very little of her body. Underneath she was wearing a flimsy lacy pair of lingerie leaving very little to the imagination. He had seen her naked already but she enjoyed the reaction.  
“What is that?”  
“Oh, I left Cookie Monster at home.” She said leaning sensually against the wall and she saw him straighten his back. “I thought this was more appropriate for the occasion.”  
Rowan got off the bed an in a couple of steps he was in front of her, staring down at her.  
She cupped his face and he covered her hand with his.  
For a moment it seemed like he was having an internal debate on what to do. Then in a swift motion he lifted her and he stopped in front of the fire and kissed her with a passion that sent Aelin reeling.  
“In front of a fire… is one my fantasies…” he told her in her ear.  
Aelin did not waste time and pulled him down on the plush carpet. The fireplace had a protective screen to prevent fire sparks to escape. In a house that was entirely made of wood, a fire would be a disaster.  
“Nice and toasty down here.” He hovered above her and her arms went around his neck. She pulled harder but he stayed where he was.  
“Patience. I am going to savour each minute of this night. I will not rush into this.”  
Aelin almost begged him. She didn’t want to wait. She needed him.  
But Rowan definitely had different plans.  
He gently lowered his body on hers making sure his weight was not crushing her. His hands trailed along her arms stopping at her wrists and pushing then her arms above her head. His mouth slanted on hers and with a keen tug of his mouth she opened for him. At the same time his hands began trailing back down again following her shapes and pausing at her hips. Rowan grabbed the hem of the nightgown and started lifting very slowly, taking great care in kissing every single bit of skin exposed.  
Aelin was on fire. She arched her back and moaned and the ache between her legs increased. He was barely touching her and she was ready to crack.  
The nightgown disappeared beyond her “For as much as I loved that nightgown of yours, I still prefer you naked.” And his mouth closed on one nipple, sucking, nibbling while the other hand was playing with the other one. Aelin shook and moved her hips to grind against him but he blocked her with his weight. She felt him hard against her and her hands landed on his back and nails definitely left marks.  
His tongue was doing devilishly things to her now hard peak and she pulled him even closer, inflicting more marks on his back. She squeezed her legs as she felt wetness spread and he had barely started. Oh, that wicked tongue of his was doing wonderful things and she imagined the same motions between her legs. The mere thought of his mouth on her was enough to make her moan.  
Gods, she was going to combust very soon.  
He lifted his gaze and stared at her. While never averting her stare he flicked her nipple with the tongue and in that instant one hand landed between her legs. Tempting, teasing, exploring.  
“Hmmm…” he had probably felt how ready she was.  
His mouth began its journey downward, kissing and licking and stopped at the band of her underwear. A black lacy piece of garment that covered very little. Teeth slowly lowered the garment “Lift.” She lifted her bum and allowed him to remove the piece of fabric. She was now bare in front of him. They had seen each other naked and they had explored each other bodies, but for some reason it still felt new.  
“You are stunning.” He breathed.  
His mouth landed on her inner thigh and from there he trailed down to her knee. He kissed the back of it and began his journey back with his tongue. The whole thing was mirrored on her other leg and Aelin almost whimpered. She placed her legs on his shoulder and he smiled as she spread her legs even more. He looked up to Aelin and saw her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open.  
His face disappeared between her legs “So, so, needy for me.” He whispered against her centre. Her hips rolled in an invitation but his hands pinned her down.  
“I will take,” a kiss at the edge of her folds “my time,” a mirror kiss on the other side “one kiss,” his thumb repeated the motion “at a time.” The thumb followed the same path as the mouth.  
His tongue finally took a long lick of her and Aelin screamed at the feeling. Lick after lick she started saying his name like a prayer and she had no idea how much longer she could resist before she was going to shatter under his ministrations.  
“Ro —“ she could not finished the thought. One of his finger slid into her and his tongue hit again that one magic spot and another loud moan left her. A second finger slid in and Aelin screamed as he hooked them inside her, brushing that deep secret corner of hers.  
Gods the man had skills. The moan that escaped from her almost undid him.  
“Rowan, please—“ she begged him arching her hips to grind against his fingers. His thumb replaced his tongue at her apex and she was now whimpering, the sensation becoming almost too much to bear. His fingers were now pumping hard in and out of her and Aelin was glad they had no neighbours.  
Her body jerked and he felt her core tighten around him and he knew she was near. His pace picked up a bit more, tongue and fingers dancing to bring her pleasure.  
“Gods, Ro I—” and the world exploded around Aelin. Fire spread through her body, up her spine, down her legs as they jerked, shaken by the powerful climax he dragged out of her. She kept repeating his name in a whisper as her hips rocked riding her high until there was nothing left of her but a limp mess on the carpet.  
Her eyes closed and an expression of pure bliss on her face.  
Once he was satisfied he sat back on his haunches between her legs and when she caught his eyes he brought his fingers to his mouth and slowly licked them clean in a gesture that almost gave Aelin another orgasm.  
“Damn it Whitethorn, get down here and kiss me.” She was breathless and she was not sure her cognitive functions were fully back yet.  
“I love how you look right now.”  
She grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss and tasted herself on his lips “I think I have scratched you back.”  
“I don’t care,” he said softly kissing her neck “I’ll bare my scars with honour.”  
His hands sneaked under her shoulders and grabbed the side of her face kissing her gently. Aelin’s arms wound around his back again.  
He went back kissing her and his hips started rolling against her in a suggestive motion. He needed her badly. He wanted to claim her in the most intimate and wonderful of ways.  
“Why you are not naked yet, Whitethorn?”  
He smiled against her neck “I was otherwise occupied.” He pulled back and stood, finally removing his clothes one at a time with intended slowness.  
He was now standing towering over her all naked and she thought she could never tire of the view. She noticed his hardness and her mouth went dry at the view. He was magnificent.  
As a provocation she put her hand between her legs and could not believe that she was still so ready for him.  
“I don’t think so.” He kneeled and picked her up and once in his arms she wrapped around him.  
“Someone requested a wall, if I remember correctly.” His voice a mere whisper against her ear. She looked in his eyes and she had a feeling his control was hanging by a tether. The lust and desire in his them were enough to reignite the fire in her.  
While walking to a free side of the wall her hand slid between them and she grabbed him but he growled and slammed her back against the wardrobe “Stop it or we’ll never make it to the wall.”  
She teased him again and a moment later she felt her back slam against the wall, his hand behind her head in protection. His mouth was hard against hers.  
Another gentle brush of his tip with her thumb and his hips slammed into her “Fuck, Aelin.”  
She knew he had lost it as she had never heard him swear or even curse very mildly.  
Her hands trailed from his back and with a gentle caress she brushed his wide shoulders. She wanted to kiss every centimetre of his body.  
She slid down slightly until she felt his tip nudge her entrance and in response she angled her hips just enough to allow him easier access.  
Rowan groaned, burying his face in her neck and with gentle rolling thrusts he finally slid into her.  
She heard him mutter something in Gaelic and his mouth almost bit her on the neck.  
“Gods, Aelin this is—“ but he did not finished the sentence as he slid into her again with a bit more force this time.  
Rowan moaned. She felt perfect around him.  
She rolled her hips once again and Rowan pulled out and his thrusts became a bit harder. Aelin’s nails left more marks on his beautiful skin.  
He pulled out again and thrusted in once more adding again more force. He repeated the motion a few more times and Aelin pushed her hips forward to increase the contact with him.  
“I dreamed about this for a while. How it would feel to finally join with you.” His accent now thick once again and she desperately searched for his mouth.  
His hand gripped her butt so tight she will probably have bruises the next day but she could not care. His rhythm picked up and Aelin could feel her release building up in her core once again and she heard herself moan savagely as one of his thrusts hit her most sensitive spots.  
She was about to give in to another earth shattering orgasm when she noticed he was nowhere near close to his climax. Damn, the man was not joking when he said he had stamina.  
_“Tha gaol agam ort.”_ he whispered to her, kissing her neck _“Tha gaol agam ort.”_ he repeated it like a prayer.  
One of his fingers dipped between her legs and Aelin’s legs tightened around his back and this time she screamed as her climax built up to a point she knew she was going to combust in his arms. And when his mouth found her again and his tongue did devilish things to her, her release finally exploded and rippled through her body, shattering her. And as the savage release wrecked havoc in her body, she lost recollection of time and place and of her own name. The wild climax spread to her back and down to her toes making them tingle in pleasure. And when she felt like she could finally melt in his arms, she realised he was not done yet. His rhythm had picked up once more and she almost whimpered when she felt another orgasm built up pretty quickly right after the other one.  
“Shit, Rowan I—” and her mouth closed on his skin to muffle the scream that broke free from her while she reached her high a third time.  
Rowan grunted and his hand cupped her butt harder and finally, in one final powerful thrust he reached as well his release. His hips rocked until he was spent and Aelin went limp against him her chest rising up and down in a desperate need for oxygen. She heard him pant as well and for a moment, neither of them tried to move, him still deeply seated in her.  
He took a big gulp of air and then kissed her shoulder and then her mouth until his forehead rested against hers, his eyes now on hers.  
He was breathing hard. Aelin’s hands cupped his face “You look exhausted.” She kissed him gently.  
He shook his head “I am just—” another gulp of hair “I never felt like this before.” He pulled her closer into an embrace and pulled away from the wall. Slowly, his legs still shaking, he walked back to the bed and with gentleness he deposited her on it and leaned forward for a kiss. She pulled him down to her and once he was at her side she nestled against him.  
“ _'s ann leatsa a tha mo chridhe gu brath”_ a shy kiss on her cheek  
“You said something similar at Callanish.”  
He shook his head “same thing.”  
“What does it mean?” Her hand splayed on his chest.  
“My heart is yours forever.”  
She leaned forward and kissed him.  
“Did you forgot your name?” His voice was soft and his accent still so very thick.  
“I did,” she chuckled. “I love your accent just now and while we were busy. It gets thick and it’s very sexy.”  
He nibbled at her ear and muttered something unintelligible in what she knew it was Gaelic. It was a song. He was definitely humming something.  
“What is it?”  
“ _S mi fo bhròn 's tu gam dhìth. Ged nach eil sinn fhathast pòsd’. Tha mi'n dòchas gum bi. Fhad' 's a mhaireas mo dhà dhòrn, Cha bhith lòn oirnn a dhìth._ ”  
Aelin’s eyes almost welled with tears. She caressed his face and he closed his eyes.  
“That was beautiful. Whatever it was it was…” he kissed her.  
“I am sorrowful without your company, although we are not married, I hope we will be. As long as I have my two hands, we will want for nothing.” He translated for her and then kissed her “The song is called Fair love of my heart. It’s the story of a lonely man and his tale about this woman he loves who then tells him her destiny is with him.”  
“I love you.” Her face leaned on his chest on his heart “I love you so much that sometimes it hurts.” Her hand twined in his.  
His arms went around her and he pulled Aelin on top of him. She smirked at him and kissed his mouth, dragging her tongue across his lips. Then her hand slipped down between his legs and she loved his expression morph into pleasure as she stroked him gently.  
With a couple of stroked of her hands he was almost hard again and Aelin appreciate the luck of having a man with stamina.  
“I guess is my turn now…”  
Her tongue trailed along his chest and disappeared under the thick blanket he had draped on top of them.  
“Aelin you—“ Rowan’s back arched and closed his eyes at the first feeling of her mouth on him.

When Aelin woke up she had the biggest smile on her face. She turned her head and noticed Rowan at her side. His arms as usual over her in a protective gesture. They were both still naked. They had fallen asleep not long after their lovemaking and clothes had been forgotten. The blankets were still at the bottom of the bed and she was freezing. The fire had died out and the heating hand’t gone on just yet. She grabbed the duvet and hid under them snuggling against Rowan. He was always warm.  
“Morning,” he told her kissing her deeply.  
She grinned back at him.  
“I love you,” he whispered and she kissed his nose.  
“I am cold.”  
Rowan laughed and got out of bed to switch on the heating. Then he looked at the clock and realised it was past nine in the morning.  
“I think we need breakfast.” He had said simply, as if he cooked naked every day.  
Aelin pulled herself up on her elbows and stared at him dreamingly as he gave his back to her. His glorious back side was rock hard and she had a mad desire to bite it, while caressing that wonderful broad back of his. Even just looking at his naked body was enough for heat to pool between her legs. Her mind went to what she did to him under the blankets or to their adventure against the wall and she almost moaned.  
“Are you okay?” He asked, half turning while preparing their breakfast.  
“Nothing.” She cleared her voice in hopefully a subtle way.  
She landed back on the bed and covered herself with the duvet. One hand went between her legs and she discovered she was super wet again. “Fuck.” She whispered.  
“What are you doing under the blankets like that?” And light hit her when she noticed he had pulled the duvet from over her and when Aelin looked up his eyes were wide and locked on her hand and what she was doing.  
“I… You…” her mouth could not form a proper sentence “It’s your fault, you walk around naked.”  
He laughed and lowered on her and kissed her hard and a hand joined hers. Aelin was about to remove hers “No, keep it there.” He said instead.  
His hand covered hers and they moved together until Aelin felt an orgasm rise very quickly. He moved faster until release came and he muffled her scream with a kiss.  
“Food is almost ready.” Was all he said as if nothing had happened and walked back to the kitchen.  
He came back a moment later with a bed tray and placed it on her lap. Then he did the same for him and sat down beside her.  
“Never had a sexy breakfast in bed before.” She took a bite of the food and she realised she was starving.  
“What, police guy never made you post sex breakfast?” He asked while drinking his coffee.  
Aelin scoffed “I am just realising that we didn’t have the most exciting sex life.” She confessed biting a piece of bacon “Maybe I really was the one who drove him to cheat on me. I have been asking myself if I actually really loved him. If I stayed with him just because it was easy.” She sighed and Rowan grabbed her hand without interrupting her “Before it went downhill he was a good man. And I guess I felt something, but now with hindsight, comparing it to what I feel for you, I realise that I never felt anything ever so powerful for Chaol.” She put her fork down “He was horrible in the end. It hurt. But I think I stopped caring for him before I served him with the divorce papers.”  
Rowan pulled her to his shoulder and kissed her head.  
“Sorry,” she apologised “We just had a wonderful morning and I am ruining everything by moping on my failed marriage.”  
Once they were done, Rowan took the trays with empty plates and placed them on the floor, then grabbed Aelin and he pulled her down in bed, her face to him and covered them both, cuddling tenderly.  
“Lyria and I probably had just one year of true happiness.” He confessed “Then talks of the Olympics started and I knew that all of a sudden she was more interested to be with me because of who I was. But I still felt something for her. I proposed like a fool, but some of my friends had told me it was a bad idea. After the accident I knew she was bored of me. But I ignored the signs I just kept her with me.” He kissed her forehead “We both had relationships that failed. Horribly.” He grabbed her hand and dragged it to his chest “But now all of that doesn’t matter anymore. We, you and I, matter now.”  
Aelin nodded. “Just you and I.”  
Then in a swift motion Aelin got off the bed and pulled the covers at the bottom of the bed. She had enough of moping and sad stories. They were there to have fun.  
“What are you doing, you menace?”  
“Remember the pool?… fancy some post breakfast swim?” She stared at him and sensually brushed her hand on her abdomen, while a finger almost reached between her legs. She definitely had his attention now.  
Rowan stood and a moment later she was in his arms, being carried bridal style. He walked with purpose to the back of their cottage where there was a small pool.  
The pool was slightly larger as Rowan was tall and probably over a meter and a half deep but she would take it.  
Rowan climbed down the steps and entered the water with her still in his arms.  
She climbed down and realised the water was warm and it felt spectacular on her body. She submerged and saw Rowan do the same.  
When she came up for air he was on his knees in front of her. He then moved to the side of the pool that was slanted allowing people to lean in the massive tub.  
Aelin stood and with her naked dripping body and walked until she stopped in front of him. She removed the band from her hair and undid the braid, shaking her head to free it.  
Rowan stared up at her and his stare turned predatory and when she looked down she noticed he was ready for her.  
She sat down and straddled him, her thighs just below his length. She leaned forward and nibbled at his lips and he moaned lightly. Aelin grabbed him in in her hand and Rowan gasped hard. Once she was sure he was really ready for her, Aelin fully straddled him and lowered on him with maddening slowness. He closed his eyes and his hands went to her hips. Half way through Aelin pulled up and she heard him growl and at that sound she seated hard on him, taking him all in, in one swift motion.  
“Aelin—“ but her mouth was on his before he could finish the sentence.  
“Pool sex, another one my fantasies…” she licked his neck and Rowan grabbed her hips harder and let her set the pace this time.

It was over an hour later when they were again a breathless mess in each other’s arms. The first time had been hard and fast, but the second time they had taken their time and it had been much gentler. So slow that he made her come four times.  
Rowan sat and she took her place between his legs and cuddled while watching the snow falling outside.  
They remained in the pool a little longer enjoying the view. Then Rowan pulled her out of the water.  
Aelin went back to the room and it dawned on her that it was late afternoon and they really had spent the whole day making love and in each other’s arms.  
They had dried themselves and she grabbed her nightgown still scattered on the floor but Rowan stopped her.  
“No clothes allowed.” He kissed her.  
“Who am I to complain?” And she threw the garment back on the floor with the rest of their clothing.  
“We can have a late lunch if you are hungry.”  
She gently bit his shoulder while her hand cupped his butt “Hungry for you, always.”  
He laughed and went to the kitchen.  
“I was not joking, Buzzard.” She sat on the bench near the table crossed her legs and pushed her chest out “We should be naked at home as well.”  
He had his head buried in the fridge and turned to her “If we do that we risk never leaving the house ever again and we both have jobs.”  
“Spoilsport.” She stood and walked around the room swaying her hips.  
“You really are a menace.”  
An hour later Rowan had managed to put together a meal and they finally sat on the bench at the table. Aelin’s legs extended on his. In response to the provocation, Rowan had decided to eat his meal with one hand since the other one had been buried between Aelin’s legs. Once she was done eating she lowered her legs at each side of the bench opening for him.  
“Are you going to do something or not?” She teased him.  
Rowan accepted the challenge and ten minutes later Aelin lay on the bench breathless and with his name on her lips.  
Once they were done, and Aelin recovered she stood and cleared the dishes from the table then went back to him.  
She climbed on the table and sat down in front of him, her legs on both side of him. She spread them wide and leaned backwards a bit. She licked one of her fingers and briefly touched herself knowing he will enjoy the sight.  
“Wicked, wicked woman.” He stood and in a second his finger was in her “I guess I can have dessert tonight.”  
A second later Rowan had gripped her and flipped her on her stomach and bent her over the table.  
He had feasted on her and after that he had taken her from behind and Aelin was again very glad they had no neighbours.

By they time they got back to their bed Aelin was exhausted. “I think we will need a holiday to recover from this holiday.” She leaned back against Rowan’s chest and grabbed her book. Eventually they had decided to take a break and relax with some reading.  
“Hm.” Said Rowan who was all intent on reading his book. One hand up to eye level holding the book, the other in her hair, playing with it “You should have dried your hair better.” He said in his usual protective tone, and then went back to his book.

When Aelin woke up the next morning she felt like death. She had a splitting headache and was shivering from the cold.  
She snuggled as much as possible against Rowan and groaned in pain.  
“Hey,” he said when he felt her shiver.  
“I am so cold.”  
“The heating is on. I put it on a timer.” He drew her closer and noticed that Aelin was uncharacteristically warm. His mouth was on her forehead and he felt she was burning.  
“You are running a fever.”  
He got up and went to the bathroom to see if they had a medicine cupboard.  
Quickly he grabbed his clothes and got dressed, and raised the heating a notch.  
A moment later he sat on the bed beside her “I am going to the village to the pharmacy.”  
“I am fine…” she croaked.  
“You are not fine.” He kissed her forehead.  
“Be careful, please. The snow.”  
“I will be very careful.”  
He left and Aelin buried herself under the blankets.

Rowan was back a while later from his trip to the pharmacy and found Aelin hiding and shivering under the duvet.  
“Hey,” he pulled the blankets back and noticed she was still naked.  
He swore and ran to her suitcase to see if he could find clothes more useful than her flimsy nightgown. He sighed relieved when he found her Cookie Monster pyjama.  
“Aelin,” she groaned in reply. He pulled her up to a seated position and started pulling clothes back on her.  
Once she was ready he put her down again and covered her.  
He removed his winter clothes and got back to his more comfortable house slacks and then began looking after her. He had bought a thermometer and first of all checked her temperature and his worry increased when the digital screen told him 39C.  
He took the medicines and followed the instructions the pharmacist had given him. He placed a wet towel on her forehead.  
“Aelin,”  
“Hmm.”  
“I need you to take these. They will help to lower the fever.”  
Gently he helped her sit up a bit and she took the pills and then the water he offered.  
“Good.”  
Once she was lying down again he went to plan two.  
He filled one of his water bottles and placed on her bedside table so that she could drink as much as possible, then went back to the kitchen and started making soup. Carrot and coriander was light and easy and he knew Aelin loved it.  
An hour later the soup was ready and exactly as she liked it. He poured the contents in a bowl and walked the the bed and placed it on the nightstand.  
“Can you eat something for me? I made you soup.”  
“Which one?” She muttered, eyes half open.  
“Carrot and coriander.”  
“My favourite.”  
“I know.” He smiled and then grabbed his pillow and helped her sit up.  
“Everything hurts…” she complained.  
“You have a high fever. It’s normal.” He set the wet towel aside for now and kissed her forehead.  
Then sat in front of her and grabbed the bowl. He tasted a spoonful to check whether it was too hot.  
“Come on.”  
She complained that she could feed herself but he was in full fussing mode and there was no way to deter him and she had no strength to fight him. Spoon by spoon she ate the full bowl and Rowan smiled proudly.  
Once he was done he helped her again to lie down and tucked her in. Finally he moved the big chair near her side. He grabbed a book and plopped down, stretching his legs on the bed. With one hand he held the book, with the other he held her hand. He stared at her until she fell asleep then went back to his books.

Aelin woke up later in the evening. She turned and was disappointed in finding the other side of the bed empty. She sat up and noticed Rowan still on the chair at her side. He was sleeping and had a book on his lap. Then her gaze turned to the nightstand and noticed a thermometer and pills and she remembered. She had waken up with a savage fever and he had looked after her.  
She felt a bit better but the dull headache was still there and some aches as well. She took her temperature and noticed it was still in the low 38C.  
She took more medicines then her stomach growled. She was starving. With shaky legs she left the bed and noticed she had Cookie Monster pyjama on. She smiled. Then grabbed Rowan’s hoodie and put it on as well and went to the kitchen.  
She grabbed some bread to be toasted and went to the fridge for her jam and grabbed as well the large bottle of orange juice that Rowan must have bought. Caffeine was definitely a bad idea.  
She was eating happily when she heard Rowan approaching.  
“Aelin?”  
“Kitchen.” She said.  
“What are you doing out of bed?” He sat on the bench beside her.  
“I was starving.”  
“You could have woken me up.” He brushed her hair with his hand and touched her forehead “You are still warm.”  
“I know. But I need food.”  
“Go back to bed and I will bring it to you.”  
Fine, let him fuss. He was so adorable.  
Five minutes later he was carrying a tray with a plate with a few slices of bread with jam, a couple of his oatmeal biscuits and orange juice. Aelin protested at the biscuits but he said that she had to eat light and her ones were not approved yet.  
“Too much time outside in the snow, then the pool and then you did not dry your hair properly. That’s what you get.” And kissed her nose tenderly.  
“I ruined our getaway.”  
“No, you didn’t.” He smiled “At least you got sick after.” And he laughed.  
They spent the rest of the day in bed, then they had taken a warm bath together but Rowan was adamant in avoiding any illicit activity. And then he was the one who dried her hair complaining that she did a bad job the day before and got ill.  
That night they sat in the big chair, Aelin on his lap and a thick blanket around them and watched outside the window. Rowan’s app alerted him of a possibility of Northern Lights and the sky was clear.  
They had switched off all the lights in the cottage and were now waiting patiently. She was about to fall asleep when Rowan nudged her and pointed at the window.  
Aelin gasped in amazement and snuggled closer to him. Together and in silence they held each other and stared at the magnificent show outside. 

Two days later it was time to go back home and Aelin was sad. Their getaway had been perfect. Even with her illness they had a wonderful time.  
“We just have to come back.” He said kissing her cheek.  
“Thank you for taking care of me.”  
“I will always take care of you.”  
They locked the door behind. Returned the keys and got back in their car.  
And home they went.  
To their adventure.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I made and chapter 23 has landed.  
> We are not too far off from the final staged of the fic.  
> This one is a mammoth and I hop that 8k words will keep you busy for a bit.  
> I have an horrendous uni assignment due next week and work as well which means chapter 24 won't arrive until probably the beginning of next week.
> 
> The only thing I want to add about the chapter is the initial part where they talk about Christmas.  
> Rowan's reaction might seem a little extreme but i based it on my own personal experience. I am pagan. I do not celebrate Christmas in any shape or form but I do celebrate the solstice. And what Rowan says to Aelin is what usually happens to me. 
> 
> That's the only comment I'll make on the chapter.
> 
> Enjoy <3

“You are not putting that Christmas tree in our house.” Was Rowan’s outburst when he saw the image on her phone. It was the beginning of December and Aelin was showing Rowan the tree she wanted for the house and all the decorations she wanted to buy.  
“It’s December Rowan. Christmas will be here soon and everyone is decorating apart from us. Stop being such a spoilsport.”  
He stood and began pacing around the living room.  
“It’s a stupid holiday.” And he realised he had gone too far when her expression morphed into one full of hurt.  
Rowan’s hand brushed his hair in frustration.  
“So it’s just my traditions that are stupid? Did I ever made fun of you with all of yours?” Aelin was now in front of him and she was fuming.  
“No.” Was the only thing he could manage.  
“I came with you at the summer solstice. I listened to your beliefs and never made fun of you and now I ask something and I can’t get it? I thought this was a relationship of equals.” She was getting irritated.  
“It is.” He added, turning his back at her and staring outside.  
“It doesn’t seem like.” He heard her walk away and sighed heavily. His head leaned against the cold window. When he turned around, she had left the room.   
A bit later he heard the main door open and close and he guessed she had left the house.  
He sat back on the sofa, leaned his head back into the sofa and closed his eyes. His communication skills had, as always, been lacking. 

It was an hour later when she came back. She had gone out, probably to let out some steam.  
He stood to go to her but she ignored him and it hurt. They had small fights but this was one was more serious than the others and he had to fix it.  
“Aelin…” he moved to her.   
Aelin went to their room and slammed the door in his face.   
He groaned and started pacing around the living room nervously, then went back to the door of their room and banged at it “Will you come out so that we can talk?”  
The door flew open and his hand was still in the air.  
“What? Talk about what? That you are behaving like a selfish asshole?” Aelin knew she had gone too far. Rowan so far had been everything but an asshole and from his reactions he knew she had hurt him just now.  
“Selfish?” He roared and moved away from her “You know what? Decorate the house. Do whatever the fuck you want. I don’t care.” He moved all the way back to the window and Aelin knew he was mad. He had cursed and that was not something he did. She heard him use the F word only once and it was during a much happier moment.   
“Ro, I am sorry. I didn’t mean…”  
He sighed and Aelin moved another step to him. That distance between them was too much and she did not like fighting with him. For the first time she was in an healthy relationship and she had no intention of ruining everything.   
He turned abruptly and looked at her “I have never celebrated Christmas. I am 38 and I never did.” He started, finally looking at her “My parents followed the old ways and growing up I did the same. I grew up with kids making fun of me because I did not believe in Santa and because my family did not celebrate Christmas. When I was with Lyria I was forced to endless Christmas parties and people made fun of me when I told them I was going to Callanish for the winter solstice.” He ran his hands through his hair.  
Aelin moved to him and hugged him “I am sorry…” she felt tears well in her eyes.  
Rowan sighed and his hands went on her back and kissed her head “Don’t. I am not mad at you.”  
She squeezed closer “tell me what you do. Tell me how you celebrate.” She looked up at him and his eyes looked sad.  
He turned her in his arms and pulled her closer against his chest. His mouth close to her ear “I add holly around the house. It’s a symbol of hope, it’s meant to ward off spirits.” He explained kissing her neck   
He felt her relax. He had not liked their fight “I usually have a tree. A real one, that is kept healthy and then replanted at the end of the holidays. Not those plastic monstrosities.” He gave her a squeeze around her waist “It’s the Tree of Life and it’s a very important symbol, that’s why you don’t put baubles and garlands on it. I usually decorate it with pinecones, berries and other stuff, but always natural elements.”  
She leaned deeper against him. What he was describing it wasn’t too bad at all.  
“And finally the yule log.” He kissed the top of her ear “it’s the only time I lit my fireplace. The log has to be from oak. According to the ancient lore it keeps the spirits from entering the house.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm “I hang a wreath on my door with some bells and I have plenty of fabric elves that I use to decorate the rest of the house.”  
“What do the elves do?”  
“Well, the ancients believed that the spirits that created the Sun inhabited the realm of elves. So by adding elves you are assuring their assistance and also the return of the sun after all the dark days.” He explained trying not to sound like a lunatic. She was the first person he had truly explained his beliefs to. Lyria had never accepted it fully and he had to pretend he liked Christmas with her.   
“I have mistletoe too. It’s a symbol of life in the dark winter months.”  
She turned to face him “are we allowed to kiss under it?”  
He looked down at her “Of course.”  
She hugged him.  
“And I make some incredible gingerbread biscuits.”  
He felt her grin against his chest and knew that somehow their fight was over and finally started to relax again.  
“It does sound a lot like Christmas to me.”  
He kissed her head “It’s because when christianity took over, they incorporated some of the traditions into theirs. But the roots of the holiday are basically pagan.”  
“I like it.”  
“I didn’t mean to—“ but she stopped him with a kiss.  
“I always had a horrible relationship with Christmas.” He confessed “I hate the way it’s forced on everyone. It’s everywhere. And you can’t even celebrate Samhain in peace that this holiday is shoved down your throat. And don’t get me started on the consumeristic aspect. It has become a holiday for the shops to make more money. And if I even try to voice my opinion I get called a grinch and a grumpy old man. And people tend to ridicule my beliefs.”  
“You are my grumpy old man.” And she gave him a kiss, gentle and brief.  
“I have never made fun of other people for what they celebrate, but the world seems to have a problem with me because I do not follow the masses.” He sighed heavily.  
“I like what you described. A lot.”  
“We don’t have…”  
She shushed him again with another kiss “But I want to. We can make it our own holiday. With our own traditions. And screw the rest of the world.”  
“I’d love that very much.” He said, finally smiling again “we can add holiday sex in front of the fire.”  
“That is a tradition I would subscribe to immediately.”  
“We can have some of your lights outside on the door.” He offered “It’s our house so it’s only fair that we follow your traditions too. I need to stop being stubborn.”  
“And snowflakes decals on the windows?”  
He kissed her head “of course.”  
“Can I have hot chocolate too?”  
“As if I could stop you. You always cheat on me with chocolate.” And he pouted, but Aelin removed his pout with a kiss.  
“We can exchange gifts.” He added and her smile became brighter.  
“On one conditions.” She added, pushing him to the sofa where she made him sit down and straddled him “Only one each. I agree with your rant about consumerism. Lysandra and I had the same rule. We started when we were skint interns and never stopped. Just one gift each and not too expensive. It has to be meaningful.”  
Rowan kissed her “I really love your plan.”  
Her hands twined in his silver hair “And we are not celebrating on the 25th. You and I are celebrating on the winter solstice.” She decreed and he smiled back at her.   
“Are you sure?” He asked, closing his eyes, enjoying the feel of her hands in his hair.  
Aelin nodded “Which bring me to my next question: can I please invite Lysandra and Aedion? Lysandra and I have all our traditions and this year will be the first Christmas we are not together. Can we celebrate the 25th with them? And don’t worry, Aedion is a massive grinch and hates the holiday. It’s more the idea of being together with the people I love.”  
“Of course, _mo chridhe,_ they can come and stay here with us and use your old room. We will celebrate your way too.”  
“You are not working on the 25th?”  
“I am doing the night shift on the 24th and finishing on the 25th around noon. Malcolm is doing the rest of the day. He is not bothered. And I am off early on the 21st because again I come off the night shift so we can celebrate together.”  
And Rowan grinned wildly at that admission of hers “Good, because I have plans to take my wonderful woman to the best winter solstice ever.”  
“What plans?” She asked grinding gently against him.  
“If I tell you, I’d have to kill you And I’d rather not do that.” And he kissed her deeply and a moan left her mouth.  
“I have an elf pyjama for the holidays.” She admitted as her hand started to move in a sensual way around his body.  
“You definitely are my elf who brought back sun in my life.”  
Aelin groaned “Too cheesy. Now I need to punish you.” And her mouth crashed against his.  
Her hand landed on his crotch and she found him ready for her “someone is needy.”  
“Very…” he kissed her neck “very…” another one “very needy.”  
She stood and he groaned and the loss of contact with her body. She started to undress in front of him “I guess you can start unwrap your first present.” Then she stopped and started laughing “It sounded so much better in my head. It made me cringe.”  
Rowan stood and walked to her, his hand went behind her head and dragged her closer for a kiss that made her legs go jelly “Tell me another one of your fantasies…” he whispered in her ear.  
She whispered back “Blindfold me and tie my hands to the head of the bed and do your worst.”  
He looked at her wickedly “As you wish, mo chridhe.” He lifted her in his arms and quickly walked to their room, ready to start their own celebrations. 

It was the winter solstice and Aelin and Rowan were at Callanish to celebrate the shortest day of the year. It was a very crispy night and Rowan had told her that according to his app there were chances to see the Northern Lights again. She was excited, she had seen then during their break and was looking forward to see them again. And in a place like Callanish the idea was beyond amazing.  
She was glad she had listened to him and covered herself in layers. It was quite cold.  
As they walked to the site Aelin lifted her head and saw the sky ablaze with stars. She was in awe.  
His hands touched her lower back and she looked at him. Rowan had a strange glow in his eyes. He had been like that all day and she could have guessed that he was giddy and excited about something. If it wasn’t that her boyfriend was famous for his composure. Damn, the man was grinning.  
In silence they walked to the stone circle and the stopped in the centre near the chamber. He turned her to him and kissed her “Happy solstice.”  
With the passing of the months she had slowly learned all about his being pagan. She had been fascinated by all of it and enjoyed his way of celebrating the holidays. After their fight about Christmas she had taken her time to listen to him and discover what being pagan meant for him. Rowan was basically a tree hugger, who loved nature, followed ancient festivals deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of people who followed Earth’s cycles and celebrated the passing of the seasons. He had explained to her that the winter solstice had a powerful meaning of regeneration and renewal. Slowly light was taking over the night. He had also added that that year was more important than usual because they had been each other’s solstice. They both were in a deep dark night before they met. And slowly they brought the sun back in their lives, together. And she loved the symbolism.  
She was busy with her thoughts when she felt his arms wound around her, his chin on her head, and she had come to love that position. She fitted perfectly under him.  
“When I was younger, I used to come out here with my telescope and look at the stars and the planets.” He confessed and Aelin smiled at the idea of a younger Rowan looking up at the sky in admiration.  
He grabbed her hand and pointed to a specific pattern in the sky “See that? That’s Orion the hunter.”  
“How can you tell?”  
He guided her hand across the air “This… is his bow.” Then moved the hand lower and horizontally “this is his belt.” And then down vertically “and this is his sword.” Then up again “and his body.”  
Aelin was amazed at him and all of a sudden she wanted to know more. Then he moved her hand again to another point “That W shaped pattern? That’s Cassiopeia. And if we move a bit…” and his body turned her and he pointed again “That’s the plough or the Little Bear and if you follow his tail all the way up you find what?”  
“Polaris.” Answered Aelin with a smug face for actually remembering something from High school. He kissed her neck as a reward and she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. Then a second later she felt him move away from her. She turned to ask him what was his deal when he noticed him on one knee.  
She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth in surprise “Holy shit.” Definitely not the most romantic comment.  
“Aelin, my Queen, I have little to give you if not my love, my loyalty and myself. But I swear it will be my mission, for the rest of my existence, to make you happy. To cherish you and walk at your side through every peril and difficulty life throws at us. Aelin Galathynius, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”  
Aelin sobbed. He had used the line from one of their favourite books where the lowly warrior falls for the Queen and they end up together.  
She looked at him on his knees with a box in his hands and a wedding band in it. Her heart raced and she felt her hands shake. She finally unfroze and moved a step toward him and ran a hand through his hair “Rowan Whitethorn, my King, I will happily accept to share my life with you. To whatever end.” He stood and kissed and she felt him shake as well.  
“For a moment I feared you were going to say no.”  
Aelin let out a wet laugh “I was too busy trying to breath.”  
He laughed and he finally put the ring on her finger “It’s not your usual engagement ring. It’s a Celtic ring,   
I had it made from a local woman who does jewellery and it has some Celtic symbols connected with love engraved on. And it’s white gold. I find normal gold too tacky.” And he kissed her again and when he pulled away Aelin lifted her left hand and looked at the ring. It was simple but gorgeous. And she could totally tell it was handmade. It was unique and her heart had swelled with love for him “It’s beautiful.”  
“I wanted something special, but simple as well. It’s my gift and we agreed to be meaningful and well…”  
She kissed him “It’s perfect and now it makes my gift look pathetic.”  
“Whatever you gave me, it will be perfect.”  
Aelin hugged him and took a notice of their surroundings “Does it have some sort of meaning that we are in the middle of the circle of stones?”  
“Not for a proposal, but during a Celtic wedding, the couple tie their hands in what is called the hand-fasting ritual and the guests form a ring around the couple. I loved the symbolism.”  
She kissed him deeply “I love it so much.”  
He sat down with his back against one of the stones and pulled her down to him and she took her spot between his legs while his hands wrapped themselves around her waist.  
“I want a Celtic style wedding. You know pagan… I had the whole white gown traditional super expensive hoopla. I don’t care for it.”  
He kissed her behind her ear “A pagan hand-fasting it originally has two ceremonies. The first one that is meant to last one year and one day and then the second one for the rest of the couple’s life. But some people do just the one and go for all their life option.” He explained and she lifted their twined hands to her mouth “I want the traditional. I love the idea of renewing our vows after a year and a day.” She admitted.   
“Will you be wearing a kilt?” She asked curiously. The idea of seeing him in traditional Scottish attire gave her fuzzy feelings.  
“Yes, I have one with my clan colours.”  
“Can I have something similar? I don’t want another boring white gown. Am I allowed to wear your colours?”  
He nodded “You can have a lovely tartan wedding gown matching my kilt.”  
“Ro?”  
“Yes, Fireheart.”  
“Can we please get married here at Callanish?”  
“We can do it at Beltaine if you accept to wait for a bit. It’s a fire festival. It marks mid way to the Summer Solstice. It has the meaning of rebirth as the short dark nights give way to the long summer days. In ancient days it was a great time for celebrating and gathering and people would lit bonfires. It is also connected with fertility. Earth is becoming alive again and its fertile energy is celebrated as well.”  
“Will it mean a lot to you if we chose Beltaine?”  
He shook his head “We choose whatever you prefer. You don’t have to feel the need to follow my beliefs.”  
Aelin turned, kneeling in front of him “But I want to Ro, all you said so far seems to have a beautiful meaning connected to love and life. All you said so far just feels beautiful and I want all of it.” She kissed him deeply “It would make me very happy.” She kissed him again and his arms pulled her closer and desire bled through her. “It’s a shame it’s cold. The idea of having sex on such a powerful site is very exciting.”   
Rowan laughed and pulled her down on top of him until she straddled him and went back kissing him.  
Rowan opened his eyes for a moment and stopped kissing her.  
“What?” She said pulling away from him.  
Rowan turned her and pointed at the sky. A beautiful green and blue with a light tinge of red was dancing in the night.  
“Yes!”shouted Aelin in celebration when she looked at the sky.  
The first time she saw the Northern Lights it was during their holiday, when they took their last step in their relationship. And now they appeared again on the night he proposed. She loved the connection.  
Aelin sat back and Rowan held her “They are so beautiful I want to cry.”  
Then she grabbed her bag and pulled out his gift, feeling almost embarrassed.   
“This is for you and please don’t laugh. I am not a big fan of buying presents and I had no idea what to give you.”  
He held her close and grabbed the present and slowly unwrapped it. Soft fabric appeared in front of him and in the middle he felt the hardness of a book.  
“That’s two presents.” He smiled at her and grabbed the fabric noticing it was a gorgeous scarf as green as his eyes and it was soft “Aelin, this is gorgeous.”  
“I saw it in a shop and I just thought it was perfect. It’s a lousy gift but it’s useful.”  
Rowan wrapped the scarf around his neck “I adore it. And I really needed a new one, I swear. I just couldn’t be bothered to go and get it.” He leaned forward and kissed her, then he started unwrapping the book and his grin grew bigger. It was one of the books he had eyes since it arrived in the shop.  
“I saw you put it aside a while ago and I kept an eye on it. You never bought it so I did it for you.”  
“Thanks. I had already overshoot my monthly budget for books so I was just waiting for the new month.”  
“I knew that.” She kissed his nose “I think it’s cute that you have a book budget.”  
“Well, if I didn’t I would not be able run the shop, pay bills and eat.”  
She straddled him “That’s what a girlfriend on big bucks is for.” And kissed him again.  
He pulled her down and she lay down snuggling against him and went back staring at the Northern Lights in the sky.

The following day Rowan was at the airport to pick up Lysandra and Aedion. Aelin could not get off her shift so he offered to pick up the couple.  
“Hi guys,” he greeted them when they came out of the restricted area.  
“Rowan.” Said Lysandra hugging him “Thank you for picking us up.”  
“Aelin could not get out of her shift, but we are going to the hospital so we can have lunch together.” He explained, grabbing the suitcase from the woman.   
Aelin had made Rowan promise that he would not reveal their news to Lysandra. Aelin wanted to do that. So he kept his grin at ease and walked the couple to the car.  
They reached the hospital not long after and they walked to the A&E.  
“This looks so different,” commented Lysandra at seeing the smaller place compared to what she was used to.  
Rowan tried to phone Aelin but she did not respond then he spotted Malcolm.  
“Hi man,” said the man greeting Rowan with a big smile.  
“Hi Malcolm, is Aelin about?”  
“She is dealing with a patient. I’ll let her know that you are here.”

Twenty minutes later Rowan heard a squeal and saw Aelin running to Lysandra. The two women embraced and jumped and gave the entire A&E a big show.   
Malcolm came back a moment later “A bit higher and you’d reach ultrasound level.”  
“Mal, these are my friends Lysandra. She is a kick ass doctor in London.” Then she turned to Aedion, “this is her boyfriend Aedion.”  
“Guys,” Aelin then turned to her friends “This is Malcolm and he is my second and he awesome.” And she put an arm around his waist. The first time she did she was afraid Rowan might not appreciate the gesture, but when she explained him that Malcolm was just a super great friend and definitely not interested in her he was okay.  
Mal shook their hands “Nice meeting you all.” Then his pager went off. He winked at Aedion and left waving at the group. “I gotta go, some of us actually have to work.” And gave Aelin a big grin.  
“Did he just wink at me?” Asked Aedion.  
“Oh yeah, Mal likes guys. He has a major crush on Rowan and I got a feeling you might be his type too.” Explained Aelin.  
“He is hot.” Admitted Lysandra, watching Mal walk away.“I wish I had such a sexy second. I am so jealous right now…”  
Aedion coughed.  
Lysandra turned her head “I still love you.”  
“Just checking.”  
Then Aelin grabbed Lysandra’s hand “let’s go to the cafeteria, I am starving.”  
Once at the cafeteria they ordered food and sat down at the table. Lysandra was about to tackle her lunch when she noticed the ring on Aelin’s left hand.  
“No way.” She grabbed the hand “When did it happen?” She admired the ring on her fourth finger.   
“I proposed last night.” Replied Rowan, allowing Aelin to eat.  
“Tell me everything.” Lysandra dropped the hand and was now in full gossip mode.  
Aelin was eating and since Rowan knew she had limited time he told Lysandra the story “I asked her last night at Callanish. It was the winter solstice. I have been planning it for a while. The night was special and the site too.” Rowan extended his arm to brush her head “And when she saw me on my knees, her first comment was ‘Holy Shit’”  
Aelin laughed “I was not expecting that. One moment you were telling me all about constellations, the next you were on one knee.” She blew him a kiss “It was awesome, though” Said Aelin “and it was so romantic. He used the quote of our favourite book.” She took another bite of her food. She was about to add something else when her pager went off. She groaned and finished off her food very quickly.   
“I gotta go.” She stood and kissed Rowan “Love you.”  
Then hugged Lysandra and Aedion. “I will see you all tonight at home.” And after that she ran away.  
“She seems happy.” Commented Lysandra eating her lunch.  
“She is. She is enjoying her job. The first month has been a bit rough, but she loves her team.” Explained Rowan and Lysandra noticed the pride beaming from the man.  
“I don’t think I have ever seen this happy. Whatever magic you are using, it’s working. And I am grateful.” Lysandra took Rowan’s hand “before she came here she was in a very dark place. So thank you.”  
Rowan nodded “To be honest, she helped me too.” He saw the woman smile.  
“We haven’t told Aelin yet, I will tell her tonight, but Aedion and I are thinking about moving here. I can work at the hospital if an opening comes up and he is a pilot and an aircraft engineer, he will find something.”  
Rowan was stunned “Really?”  
“Yes,” it was Aedion this time “we have been talking about it since the first trip we made. We both fell in love with the islands and we decided that when we will have a family, this is the kind of environment we want our kids to grow up.” Aedion took Lysandra’s hand “we know it’s a very big change, but it feels right.”  
“Aelin will be delighted. She misses you a lot.” Rowan looked at both of them “Are you sure? Island life has its challenges. I was afraid that Aelin was going to struggle. Going from living in a place like London where you have everything at your fingertip to live here, it is a massive jump.”  
Lysandra nodded “we discussed it extensively and we both want it.”  
Rowan nodded and smiled.  
They finished their lunch and he took them home so they could get settled and relax a bit while they waiter for Aelin to come back home.

It was much later that night when Aelin got back home. She had to stay behind a bit longer to organise a few things with Malcolm about the interns. She was now ready to collapse on the sofa and catch up with Lys.   
Once inside she noticed the three of them in the living room, chatting happily. She was very glad that Rowan got along well with them, especially with Aedion.   
“Old habits die hard?” Lysandra’s voice met her as soon as she entered the living room.  
“Mal and I had a few things to deal with. We were not planning to finish this late.” She went to Rowan and kissed his head “I’ll take a shower and I’ll be back.”  
“I got dinner aside for you as well.” He stood “I’ll go and warm it up.”  
When he passed beside her, Aelin gently pinched his butt “I am such a lucky woman,” and disappeared away to their bedroom.

After her shower she joined the rest to the living room and Rowan had her meal ready on the coffee table for her. It looked so appetising and she was starving.  
“Did you dry your hair properly?” He brushed her hair to check.  
“Yes, my lord and master.”  
Rowan laughed “Good.”  
Aelin tackled her food when Lysandra spoke up.  
“Ae, Aedion and I have something to tell you.”  
Aelin looked up and felt worry. Lysandra’s tone seemed serious.  
Aedion took his girlfriend’s hand “Lysandra and I are thinking about moving up here.”  
The fork stopped halfway between plate and mouth. She was staring at the couple with a weird expression.  
“Say something, please.” Asked Lysandra with worry in her voice.  
“Are you sure?”  
Aedion nodded “we have been discussing the issue for a while. You were not the only one who was not happy in London.” He confessed “Lys and I need a fresh start as well and well, we kinda fell in love with this place the first time we came to visit and we have been talking about it ever since.”  
“Aedion and I have been looking for jobs already. He has a couple of possible options at the airport as an engineer.”  
Aelin stood and ran to hug Lysandra, so fiercely they almost fell off the chair “I would love that very much. I missed you like crazy. Gossiping with Rowan is no fun.”   
Rowan coughed in response to the jab.  
Aelin sat on Lysandra’s lap, her arms still around the woman, and turned to him “Yes you, you never know any gossip in town. I always need to go to your aunt.”  
Aelin went back to her seat and continued her dinner before it became cold again.  
“It might take a while but we’ll do it.”  
“I can listen at the hospital if I hear any opening that might be good for you.”   
Lysandra smiled “That would be so amazing.” Then she took a sip of her beer “Have you and Rowan discussed about what to do for the wedding? I know you got engaged last night…”  
Aelin and Rowan exchanged a glance “We actually did.” He answered for her “We are going to have a pagan hand-fastening at Callanish on Beltaine.”  
Both Lysandra and Aedion looked puzzled.  
“It’s still a wedding but your hands get tied together with a ribbon as a symbol of the union.”  
“Sounds cool. And original.” Commented Lysandra.  
“And Rowan is going to wear a kilt.” Aelin looked at Lysandra and the two women exchanged an understanding glance “And I will have a nice tartan gown with his clan colours.”  
“What are his colours?”  
Aelin grabbed her phone and showed Lysandra a picture she had downloaded.  
“Oh, that’s going to be a gorgeous pattern.”  
“We haven’t decided the fine details just yet, but of course you two are coming.”  
Lysandra squealed in delight “Let me know if you want to have another bachelorette party. We can surely top the one you had for officer asshole.”  
Aelin flinched “I am not sure there is a point.” She drank a bit of water “Speaking of the asshole, I don’t think I told you that he came here.”  
“No fucking way.”  
“Yeah, he came here to take me back to London. He told me he wanted to try again and have a while together and then get married again because he missed me.”  
Aedion growled “Apologies for the language ladies, but what the fuck was he thinking? He was an asshole. He screwed the bitch for over a year and lied to you. He treated you like shit and he has the guts to come and beg to go back to him?”  
Aelin laughed, Aedion had always been very protective of her and Lysandra and he had been very vocal about his hatred for Chaol.  
“Don’t worry, Rowan punched him.” And she took Rowan’s hand and smiled at him.  
“Of that, I am very grateful. I just wished I had been the one to do it. I should have done it last year when he forgot your birthday and came home drunk and ruined the party at your place and kicked us all out.”  
Aelin had removed that horrible night from memory. He had been horrible to every one. Once they left he had tried to force himself on her but she had pushed him away. She had given him the divorce papers only the previous day and he was still furious with her. She had slept in the guest room that night. The following day she had told Aedion and Lysandra what happened and they helped her pack and move out of the house. She had been glad that Chaol was not at home because Aedion would have reduced him to a pulp. She had never seen him that mad.  
“Can we just change topic, please?” Aelin felt sick just thinking about it. Rowan noticed her distress, he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him “I have a day off in two days. We can do something together. Until then you two are on your won unfortunately.”  
“Don’t worry about that. Aedion and I have ideas of what to do. We will be fine. We hired a car while we are here so we can be independent.” Then she turned to Aedion “But he is driving.”  
“I told Rowan that you and I celebrate on the 25th with our own traditions and we can have the whole day the two of us. Rowan doesn’t do Christmas and Aedion, well we know where he stands.”  
“Oh yeah, Rowan told me. I asked him why the Christmas tree without decorations and he explained me his version of the holiday.”  
“I promised Aelin she could have the 25th whatever way she wanted. We already exchanged gifts on the solstice and celebrated. So go ahead and have fun.”  
“Am I allowed to put Aelin’s present under the tree?”  
Rowan smiled “of course you can.”  
“I won’t be able to sleep with you though. I have a night shift on the 24th and I am not off until noon on the 25th so our morning traditions will have to wait.”  
Rowan had a curious expression on his face “what do you mean sleep with?”  
“Oh, Lys and Aelin always shared the bed on the 24th and woke up on the 25th together. They have breakfast in bed and then exchange their gifts.” Explained Aedion “Then they wear their silly ugly jumpers, drink hot chocolate all day, camp on the sofa with blankets, junk food and more hot chocolate and watch cheesy Christmas movies until they collapse exhausted on the sofa.”  
“You two could join us.” Commented Lysandra staring at the two men.  
“There is no way I am going to wear those obscene jumpers.” Complained Aedion.  
“You don’t have to. We can just be all the four of us together. Cozy under the blankets, eat drink and watch movies. We can even let you chose one.”  
Aedion looked at Rowan and the two men nodded at each other.  
“Fine. We’ll join the festivities,” Rowan conceded “But I will cook. We are going to have a nice meal. You won’t be able to get junk food on the 25th. This is not London remember?”  
She snuggled against him “I have the best fiancée in the universe.”  
Rowan chuckled “and I agree with Aedion. Us boys, we are not wearing any jumpers.”  
“Spoilsport.”

Christmas Day had finally arrived and Aelin was looking forward to go back home and start celebrating. She was exhausted. The nights shift had been crazier than she expected. Apparently some people had celebrated a bit too much. They also had an emergency in the middle of the night when a serious patient had been airlifted to the hospital from Benbecula. The guy had been in bad conditions when he came in, but was now stable. She was finishing off with her last patient for the day when she noticed Malcolm enter the pit.  
“Your saviour is here.” He walked to the changing room and Aelin followed him and stood on the door while he changed.  
“How was the night?”  
“It started off nice and quiet. Then we had a few people who have celebrated a bit too much and got themselves into trouble. A guy who almost got himself into a coma for how much he was drunk. I got vomited on five times, by a family who was brought in with food poisoning. And finally we had a man airlifted from Benbecula after a car accident. He was in really bad shape but he is stable but still in the ICU for now.”  
“Sounds like you had a fun night.”  
She sat down on the bench “I am so tired, I just want to sleep for a week.”  
“Are you sure you are okay?” He put on the top of his scrubs and grabbed his stuff from the locker and they left. “Which interns do I have with me today?”  
Aelin smiled wickedly “I gave you Lauren and James.”  
Malcolm swore. James had been the weakest of the interns. They had decided to try and give him a second chance for a little while longer, but Malcolm had very little patience with him. Although he had been out of the military for a while, he still followed some of his strict military regime he had when he was a medical officer. He had structure and she loved him for that. He also loved things done in a certain way and James had been struggling to adapt to Malcolm’s way of doing things. They were both working on it but where it was almost impossible to make Mal nervous, James was the opposite and became a mess around the man.  
“Be nice to him, please.”  
“I am always nice.” He said with a warm smile.  
“I know you are, but when you have your Captain mask on, you are a bit terrifying.” She laughed. She actually liked his Captain mask. It was no shit Malcolm. He would get things done with efficiency. She always wondered why he never took her job. The A&E would run like a super perfect clockwork in his hands.”  
“Mal?” She was curious “Can I ask you something?” They were almost back at the emergency room. He had stopped for coffee before starting his shift.  
“Go ahead.”  
“Why they didn’t offer you directly my position? You’d be amazing.”  
Malcolm stopped and sighed “Because I did not apply.”  
Aelin stopped as well and looked at him.  
“PTSD. I will tell you the story one day. After I retired from the Navy I took time off.” He sat on one of the chairs in a corridor “Once I was better I decided to try again to be a doctor. But I decided that I was going to remain in the position I was offered. I could not handle again the whole being in charge at all. Too much stress and it was not what I needed in order to heal. So when the position came up I just kept wishing we would get a very competent person in charge and it seems my wishes got answered.”  
Aelin had no idea what to say “For what it’s worth, I believe you’d have been amazing.”  
“Thanks, but taking orders for once it’s not too bad.” And he smiled at her “now go home, relax and celebrate with Lysandra. It’s my turn to get vomited on.”  
She hugged him tenderly “I will see you tomorrow night.” She stood “Nurse Jackie has baked a few cakes for all of us.”

When she finally parked the car in front of the house she relaxed. She had texted Rowan letting him know she was on her way back. He had replied saying he was finishing to prepare lunch and that the house was ready for celebrations. A part of her was excited, but another side just wanted to take a shower and sleep until it was time to go back to work again.  
Rowan was in front of her when she stepped in the house. He turned her around and covered her eyes with his hands.  
“What are you doing?”  
“Shhh.” He gently nudged her and she started walking. Then they stopped and he freed her eyes and Aelin gasped in surprise. The whole living room had been decorated with fairy lights. The coffee table had been moved and the floor had been covered in heavy blankets and pillows and then she laughed when she noticed Rowan and Aedion. They were wearing what looked like matching flannel pyjamas with elves on. She laughed.  
“The pyjamas were my idea,” confessed Lysandra “I bought them in London. And this morning I convinced them to wear them. As soon as I mentioned to Rowan that it would mean a lot to you, well, he was sold and convinced Aedion as well.”  
Aelin hugged Lysandra and then went to Rowan and hugged him as well and almost ended up crying. What was wrong with her?  
“I love it and you both look so very dashing.” She said with a flat voice and Rowan noticed that.  
“Are you okay?” He brushed his hand on her back while holding her.  
“Tired, so damn tired.”  
“Aelin we don’t have to—“  
Aelin stopped Lysandra “Yes we do. I will be better after a shower.”  
“How was the puke count?”  
“Five.”  
“Not bad.” Replied the other woman “Nothing can beat the 20 of four years ago.”  
“Hell no.”   
Rowan looked between the two women as if missing the meaning of what they were talking about.  
“I’ll tell you after lunch.” She kissed him and went to the bathroom.  
Rowan was about to excuse himself but Lysandra preceded him “Go to her. She looks like hell. She needs you just now.”  
Rowan nodded and silently thanked the woman.  
He reached Aelin in the bathroom and noticed she was already in the shower. He quickly removed his clothes and joined her.  
“What are you doing?”  
He did not reply. He pulled her to his chest and hugged her tight. In that moment Aelin started crying.  
“Hey…”  
“I am sorry…” her arms went around his waist “I just feel like crying.”  
“Shhh let it go. I am here. Let it all out.”  
And she did. She cried until she felt spent in his arms. He washed her hair and tenderly washed her body as well. There was nothing sexual in his touches. He was just taking care of her and she almost cried again. While he was on his knees washing her legs she fisted her hands in his hair “I love you.” She kissed his silver hair “You don’t celebrate Christmas but still accepted to decorate the house and wear a silly pyjama.”she was sobbing again “You are amazing and I think I must have done something right in my life to have you chose me and allow me to be at your side.” She blubbered “That was cheesy. I am sorry.”  
He stood and pulled her back into an embrace “I didn’t allow anything. You stormed into my life and made camp in it. And I am glad you did. I meant it last night when I said I will do everything to make you happy. Even wear a silly pyjama or decorate the house with fairy lights.” His hands cupped her face “we are going to have a fun day, relax and enjoy time together with the people who matter to us.”  
She kissed him deeply and he pinned her against the wall.  
“What are you doing? We have guests.” She said against his mouth.  
“Lysandra told me to come and get you and that you needed me right now. I am just fulfilling my role as dutiful fiancée.”  
“Do your worst, Whitethorn.”

It was twenty minutes later when they left the shower and walked back into the living room. Lysandra and Aedion were snuggled on the floor with a blanket around them and were talking quietly.  
“Sorry guys,” apologised Aelin joining them “Rowan went to get the food.”  
“Are you oaky?”  
Aelin sighed “I think so.”  
“That bad last night?”  
Aelin shook her head “No. Not really. I had so much worse. No, I just feel exhausted.”  
“Come here,” Lysandra hugged her and pulled her close “Aedion and I were looking at houses out of curiosity. We thought that if we move here we could just buy a house.”  
Aelin turned her head “That means that you two are really serious about each other.”  
Lysandra nodded “It took us a while, but yeah.” And Aedion nodded.  
Rowan arrived five minutes later with plates full of food. Aedion helped him to move back the coffee table and he sat the food down.  
“I got some booze as well.”  
“I’ll take a beer if you have it,” said Aedion.  
“Do you have wine?”  
“Of course, m’lady.” Rowan replied with a bow and Lysandra giggled.  
“I’ll just have water. I don’t feel like drinking.”  
When Rowan got back they finally settled down. The pillows were against the sofa and they had a blanket for each couple. Aelin snuggled against Rowan and brought the plate toward her. They had set her laptop on the table and they were ready for the movie marathon “What do we start with?”  
“Love Actually, of course. It’s the tradition.”  
Aedion sighed “Babe, you girls have seen that movie a million times. Something new?”  
“Shh…” she placed a finger on his lips “It’s what the tradition dictates.”  
When the movie finished a couple of hours later, Lysandra was snuggled against Aedion but Aelin had fallen asleep in Rowan’s arms.  
“She is completely out.” He said.  
The three of them kept watching movies but Aelin never woke up or even moved. Once it was late, they decided to call it a night and everyone went back to their room. Rowan lifted Aelin in his arms and took her to bed. He deposited her gently and she woke up.  
“Shhh go back to sleep. I just put you in bed.”  
“What time is it?” She asked sleepily.  
“It’s almost eleven. Everyone went to bed.”  
“Did I sleep the whole day?”  
Rowan nodded.  
“I am horrible.”  
He joined her in bed, pulled her in his arms and lay down with her covering them with their duvet “No, you were not. You were tired. You worked all night. They both know. No one was mad.”  
“Did you watch many movies?”  
“A few. Aedion and I introduced Lysandra to Star Wars.”  
“Finally, I tried for years.”  
“Now go back to sleep. You are woking again tomorrow.”  
Aelin nodded and snuggled tightly against him.  
“Good night, Buzzard.”  
“Good night, Fireheart.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 24 has finally landed. It took me a while but it's here.  
> Sorry it took me ages, life happens.
> 
> but now it's here and something big happens.
> 
> Have fun and enjoy <3

The holidays had passed and Aedion and Lysandra had gone back to London but Aelin knew this time it was not for long. Her friends were coming back for good and that had been the most perfect present, Rowan’s proposal aside. That had been her most treasured memory of the holidays and probably of her entire life.   
Malcolm had thrown a Hogmanay party and the four of them had all been invited and they had great fun and welcomed the new year together knowing it was going to be a new year full of future great moments.

It was now January and life had slowly gone back to normality.   
That morning Aelin woke up and again she felt like death. She had been feeling like that for a while now and she just blamed it to work. She rolled over in bed and slammed the alarm off, then realised that Rowan’s side was empty. He was probably up already as his usual.  
Slowly she forced herself to roll out of bed and walked to the kitchen in nothing but one of his t-shirts.  
Rowan was preparing breakfast and packing her lunch as well. He had decided that cafeteria food was not healthy so he had taken upon himself to pack her some Rowan approved lunch. She complained for the first two days then she gave up. The food had been amazing and he actually loved doing it, so she let him fuss.  
She hugged him from behind and leaned her head against his back and groaned. She would have gladly slept for another week.  
“You look terrible again. Are you sure you should go to work?” He turned in her arms and faced her.  
Aelin let out another savage groan “I feel like I was at a party and I got pished pretty hard last night.”  
Rowan roared with laughter “That’s a very Scottish word.”  
“Aye, I am surrounded, of course I pick up things. And Malcolm is a bad influence.” She tried to smile but noticed his worried expression “I’ll get better in a few days. Stop being a worrywart.”  
“You have been saying that for a while now.” He pressed his hand on her forehead followed by his lips “you definitely are not running a fever.”  
He passed her a mug of coffee and a plate with bacon and eggs, their Saturday treat.  
Aelin took a bite of bacon but put the fork down when her stomach protested quite aggressively and she ran for the toilet where she felt sick.   
Rowan was behind her a moment later. Worry deep in his features.  
Aelin managed to get up and went to brush her teeth “It’s just a stomach bug. I will be fine.”  
“You should not go to work.”  
She ignored him and went back to the bedroom to grab some clean clothes “I am going for a shower and I am going to work wether you approve or not.”   
Rowan sighed “At least have one of your colleagues have a look at you. This is not normal.”  
“Fine.” She brushed him off irritated “As long as you shut up about it.” And she slammed the bathroom door in his face.  
Rowan sighed and went back to the kitchen. She had been very irritable as well during the last week and they fought more than they normally did and she had been constantly exhausted for a while now. He had bought her vitamins hoping it would help but it did not. And now she was sick as well. There was something going on and he was really getting worried. But she was not listening to him and kept telling him that it was just an innocent bug.   
Half an hour later Aelin reappeared again all ready to go.  
Rowan handed her the thermos bag with her lunch. Her arms went around his neck “I am sorry.” She said, burying her face in his neck “I didn’t mean to…” she sniffled.  
“Shh… I know, mo chridhe, we are good.” He kissed her head in reassurance “Just get checked, please.”  
Aelin nodded and lifted her head to kiss him. He pretended to refuse the kiss for a moment then lifted her in his arms and his mouth crushed on hers.  
“I love you.”  
“Go, I’ll se you tonight.”  
She left and he sighed. 

It was an half hour later when she reached the hospital and went quickly to her office. She was in charge of the A&E and she went to get the roster for the day and started making plans where to place the two new intern who joined the team two days before. She loved her job. The pace was different from London but it allowed her to actually have a life outside work and she was happy for that.  
She was flipping through her diary looking for something else, when she noticed something amiss and everything all of a sudden made sense. She flipped a bit more pages and panic rose swiftly in her.  
“Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.”  
She ran out of the office and back into the pit where she saw Malcolm, grabbed him and pulled him to an empty bed, then closed the curtains.  
“What’s happening?”  
Aelin grabbed one of the carts in the corridor and took out a syringe and a vial and homeostatic elastic “Fill this up for me, please.”  
“Are you okay?” He asked while donning his gloves before proceeding to draw blood from her.   
Once he was done Aelin looked at him “No. Yes. Maybe.” She needed to calm down “I was flipping through my diary to look for something when I noticed something peculiar.”  
“How peculiar are we talking about?”  
“I missed my period. Then I went back another month and I realised I missed two.”  
“Oh.” Was Malcolm first reaction “Not to be judgmental, but how can you miss it? I have a sister and I am told it’s quite difficult to miss.”  
Aelin sighed “I was on the pill. Then I stopped because it was giving me issues. After quitting the pill it goes off kilter for a while so I was not too bothered about not having it.” she explained “Then once I saw the diary it all clicked. All of it. I have been moody. I have been constantly tired and now sick as well and my boobs are killing me. I did not miss my period because I got off the pill.” She explained frantically.  
“You and that man you yours have been naughty?” His smile was wicked.  
Aelin folder her arms at her chest and stared at him sideways.  
“I am just saying…Now, do you need a sex-ed lesson?” He joked, while sealing the vial with her blood.  
Aelin blushed savagely “a few times Rowan and I might not have been… careful.”  
“Oh, the savage passion… I hope the wall is still standing.”  
She and Malcolm had developed a wonderful relationship and they could talk about anything “The house is still standing.”  
“Good,” he gave her a wide smile and his dimple made an appearance. Malcolm was good looking. There was a high number of nurses who were crazy about him. He was tall, blonde and with beautiful grey eyes. A heart attack on two legs. The first time she saw him she was the one who had almost smashed into the glass door. “I guess you want me to take this to the lab and check for the p word?”  
Aelin sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder and his hand was on her hair “You are panicking.”  
“I will be fine.” She took a deep breath and jumped off the bed.  
“I will take this to the lab and I will let you know as soon as I know something.”  
She kissed him on the cheek and disappeared back to work.

Aelin tried to go back to her job to keep her mind occupied. She knew the answer already but she had to wait for the test. All the signs had been there for a while now. She was just worried how Rowan would react to the news. She knew he wanted kids, but perhaps this was a bit too early.   
She sighed and responded to the page and went to help her intern.

It was in the afternoon when Malcolm pushed her into her office and closed the door.  
He waved a piece of paper in front of her.  
“Is that it?”  
The man nodded and Aelin sat on the edge of the desk, her heart hammering “It’s positive, isn’t it?”  
“It is.” Malcolm gave her the paper with the results and then studied her “You don’t seem happy, I thought you and Rowan wanted a family.” He sat beside her.  
Aelin started pacing “We do. I do. Mal, we got engaged two weeks ago, we have been together less than a year. I just wan’t expecting it this soon.”  
“Are you afraid he will be mad?”  
Aelin scoffed “No. No, knowing him, he will be ecstatic and then probably put me under house arrest to prevent me to overwork myself.”  
“If he is a bit overprotective it’s just because he loves you and wants to look after you.”  
She turned to him. His gaze had gone sad all of a sudden “You are quite the protective type as well.”  
His face went dark and she felt as if she had said something wrong. Shit.  
“Mal…”  
“It’s okay.” He said, placing a hand on her knee “you could not know.”  
Mal took a deep sigh “He was a pilot. I was on an aircraft carrier. I was the medical officer. He was the commander of the air group. We started it off a bit rocky but then we began to get along quite well. Later on in our deployment, I realised I had feelings for him. Then I discovered he felt the same. After a while we got together and we were an item for a while.” He explained “I knew he was good at his job, but as a doctor, well, I had seen my share of accidents and I used to worry about him every time he would go out with his squadron. If I had an empty med bay I would go on deck and wait until he landed back. He would joke saying that I fussed too much.” He tries to laugh a bit “Things got serious between us. Sometimes we were lucky to be together but quite a lot we were posted in different locations. We always worried when one of us would go on tour without the other. Eventually we had decided to deploy one more and then both retire. He never made it back. After his death I went on one last deployment. ” he sighed heavily.  
Aelin gasped “Mal, I am so, so, so sorry.”  
“What I wanted to say is let him fuss over you. That man is madly in love with you. I wish Matthew was still here for me to fuss over him for being late or being ill. I miss it. And I miss him.” She turned and hugged him fiercely and he hugged her back.  
“Nurse Helen and I will look after you. We will find you a hot sexy man.”  
Malcolm laughed “Yeah she has been trying to set me up on dates for a while.” Then turned to her “No one knows about Matthew, a part from some of my ex Navy colleagues. I don’t want anyone’s pity. You can set me up on all the dates you want not because I am alone but because I am still here, still alive and I can’t waste such gift by wallowing forever, he would not want that. I will always remember him but life goes on.”  
Aelin nodded “So tall and dark-haired? Muscles? Rowan might have some swimming buddies available.”  
Malcolm stood “I am very picky.”  
“I will keep that in mind.”  
“Good. Now I best go back to my patients before they start to feel abandoned.” He took a step to the door the turned to her “Aelin, thank you for being my friend” and he left.

A few hours later Aelin was on her way to Yrene for her ob/gyn appointment. After the results she had phoned the ward and asked to book an appointment.  
She had been feeling nervous all day and still coming to terms with the fact that she and Rowan were going to have a kid. She had no idea if she felt ready or not.   
Once at the reception she told the secretary she was there for her appointment and she was invited to take a seat. She lasted five minutes before she had to dash to the bathroom and be sick. She felt like death. It took her ten minutes to get out of the toilet.  
When she got back Yrene was waiting for her “You look terrible.”  
“And I feel even worse.”  
Yrene invited her in in her office and told Aelin to lie down on the bed.  
Yrene smiled and pulled the ultrasound machine closer.  
Aelin lifted the bottom of her scrubs exposing her belly and Yrene spread gel on it.  
“Take a deep breath.”  
Aelin was getting more nervous by the minute which was not working well for her already upset stomach.  
“Let’s see…” Yrene placed the scanning wand on her tummy and looked at the screen.  
A very strange sound came from the machine.  
“That is not a regular heartbeat.” Said Aelin terrified, but Yrene smiled.  
“It’s not because it’s two heartbeats.”  
“Twins.”  
Yrene nodded. Aelin let out a ragged breath.  
“Are they okay?”  
“Both foetuses look fine and the right size for now. You are about eight weeks pregnant.”  
Aelin did the math. The getaway. She laughed.  
“Something funny?”  
“Yes,” Aelin said brushing her hand in her hair again, she was so nervous “I did the math and it was the first time Rowan and I had sex. And considering the amount of times, well… I am not surprised.”  
Yrene grinned.  
“We got… carried away.”  
Yrene’s hand was on her shoulder “I have seen him. It’s perfectly understandable.” The Yrene’s tone changed “You know the risks with multiple pregnancies.”  
Aelin nodded .  
“Hypertension, Preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, intense sickness.”  
“Definitely the last one is starting to appear.” Said Aelin leaning back on the bed.  
“I want to follow you.”  
Aelin nodded. She had worked with Yrene and really liked the woman and had discovered she had an amazing experience.  
“Good.” She cleaned Aelin’s belly and covered her back. “I will see you in three weeks. I want to run some tests. Just to check how you are doing.”  
“Thank you.” Said Aelin getting up and then she felt sick again and ran for the bathroom.

Going back to work had been tragic. She had spent a good twenty minutes in Yrene’s office bathroom. And left on very shaky legs.   
“What did Yrene do to you? You look like death.” Malcolm’s voice welcomed her back to the A&E. He gave her a ginger biscuit “This should help.”  
“Thank you.”  
Thanks to Malcolm’s ginger biscuits she did manage to finish her shift and she was now on her way home. Her mind kept thinking about ways to tell Rowan. Then an idea hit her.  
Before heading home she took a detour to the bookshop. Luckily it was closed already and she could get in and grab the book she needed for her surprise to Rowan. She would pay for it but she had to acquire it first without him knowing.  
Once she was done she drove home and a sense of happiness finally settled in her. The panic had finally dissolved. It would be okay. They would be okay.  
When she got home she noticed Rowan was not in the living room, and when she heard the shower, Aelin smiled. Perfect timing for her to quickly wrap the book and prepare the present.  
Ten minutes later he emerged with just a towel around his waist and she almost fainted. No matter how many times she had seen him like that, the vision had the power to kill her every single time.  
“You should stop showing off.”  
“Says the one who wanders around the house in super tiny nightgowns.”  
She grinned and closed the distance to him. Her arms went around his waist and pinched his butt in reply.  
“Come and sit.”  
“I should go and change.”  
“No way…” he sat on the sofa and she straddled him and kissed him, brushing her hands in his wet hair. She could not get distracted. She had to tell him first, then they could indulge in other activities.  
She pulled back a bit and grabbed the wrapped gift on the table “Very late Yule present.” She joked.  
“You already gave me my present.” He told her while grabbing the packet.  
“Just open it and shush.”  
Rowan did that and his face was puzzled when he noticed the book “What to expect when you are expecting…”  
Aelin grinned savagely when his smile morphed into understanding.  
“We are pregnant.” She whispered placing a gentle kiss on his mouth then she opened the book and showed him the picture of her ultrasound “Baby A and baby B.” She explained pointing at the two blobs.  
“Twins? We are having twins?” There was utter joy in his voice and her heart seemed to finally relax.  
“Is that why you were not well?” His arms wrapped tightly around her waist.  
Aelin nodded.  
He pulled her close to him “I love you so much.”  
“You are not scared or worried?”  
He kissed her “not in the least. I…” he took a breath “I want kids in my life, Aelin. I never brought up the subject because I wanted to give you the time to make up your mind on the topic and enjoy your career.” He looked her in the eyes “Truth is… I have been brooding for a while now.”  
Her hands were in his hair again “I was terrified when I realised I was pregnant.” Her forehead leaned against “Until I saw the ultrasound and I saw the twins on the screen I was panicking. Then something clicked in me and I stopped being nervous.”  
“We’ll do this together. I will be at your side, I will support you and do all I could for the three of you.”  
Aelin leaned forward and kissed Rowan’s head. She knew he was going to be the most amazing dad ever.  
“Guess when it happened?”  
“I don’t know, considering how active we have been…”  
Aelin smiled. That they had. After they got back from the getaway, they had troubles keeping their hands off each other. They had tried every possible surface in their house that could hold them. And she discovered that Rowan was creative too.  
She kissed his nose “The getaway.”  
Rowan laughed “we are going to have a big family,” he leaned against her, their foreheads touching.  
And for a while they just hugged in silence and all the fears Aelin had during the day had melted away once and for all.   
“I got the book from our shop. I will pay for it. I swear.” She broke the silence.  
Rowan laughed “It’s okay, Fireheart, for such an amazing gift, I will forgive you.”  
He grabbed the book and pushed her off her lap and started reading but Aelin had another idea in mind.  
The book disappeared form his hands and ended up back on the table and she straddled him again. Then she grabbed the hem of her scrubs and remained in her bra in front of him.  
“We’ll read later, Buzzard.” she kissed him while her hand travelled south.  
“We shouldn’t” he said pulling back from her.  
Aelin rolled her eyes “we have been doing it for two months now. No issues. It won’t hurt the babies. Believe me.” And went back kissing him to try and convince him.  
His hands trailed up her sides, brushing the band of her bra. Aelin’s arms went behind her back and freed herself.  
She felt his hands palm her breasts and leaned into the touch. With a swift motion she pulled away his towel, leaving him naked and a smile appeared on her face when she noticed him ready for her.   
His mouth locked on hers and her hand trailed south, grabbing him. Rowan gasped against her lips.  
“I thought—“ he stopped after her hand did something wicked to him “You feeling better, I reckon?”  
“I have to apologise for the past few days.” She breathed against his lips.  
“Do you?”  
“Stop talking Buzzard and use your mouth in the wicked way of yours.”  
Rowan did not complain. He lifted her in his arms as he stood.  
Her hand reached for him again and this time he moaned as his lips met hers again.  
“I can’t deny a pregnant woman her wish, can I?”

The next morning Aelin had started the day with her head in the toilet. She had been there for a good twenty minutes when Rowan finally walked in and sat beside her. She leaned against him exhausted.  
“Are you sure you have to go to work?”  
“Yeah,” she breathed getting up. His arms went around her to help her stand.  
“There are loads of ginger biscuits ready. I have packed some in your lunch. A very light one with vegetables and other ingredients that should not make you sick. There are a couple of bits of fresh ginger that you can use for your tea. Apparently it works. I read it in the book you gave me.” She leaned against him.  
“How did I end up with such an amazing man?”  
“You came into my shop and stole my heart.” He kissed her head.  
“Gee, Whitethorn, you can be so damn cheesy sometimes.”  
His nose scrunched up “All your fault. I was leading the charts for most unpleasant man in Stornoway and then you came along.” They reached the breakfast table and they sat down.  
Rowan had prepared a strawberry milkshake for her. He was planning on keeping track of all the food she did manage to eat and the one that caused discomfort.  
“Let’s try with toast with jam this morning and see if you can keep it down.” He offered her the food and Aelin made an attempt at eating.  
“You should discuss with Malcolm the possibility of him having to take most of your night shifts.”  
Aelin stopped eating and stared at him in disbelief “I can’t do that.”  
“You are pregnant.”  
“So what? It does not mean I can’t do my job. I sleep during the day like I usually do and do it. We have on-call rooms. I can still sleep and rest.”  
He was not convinced and glared at her.  
“Eventually you will have to go on maternity leave. Someone will have to cover for you. They can easily start doing it now.” His tone had turned to annoyance and Aelin braced for a fight.  
“That is months away. I can work now.” She shouted “Being pregnant does not mean I can’t do my job.”  
“If you can keep your head out of the toilet long enough.” He fired back “and if you can manage to reach the patient while your big bump is in the way. Or spend the entire day running around the A&E while your ankles double in size. Sure, go ahead. Be my guest.”  
Aelin scoffed “I can do all those things.” She snarled back.  
“You are carrying twins.” He added through gritted teeth “Do you have any idea of all the possible issues you might encounter?” He crossed his arms at his chest in defiance.  
“I am a doctor, of course I know.” She shouted back not willing to lose that battle.  
He grabbed the plates and started washing them ignoring her on purpose.  
She stood and slammed her fork on the table “This is why…” she shouted, but then she stopped. No, she could not say what she had just thought aloud. Rowan was not Chaol. She could not go down that road of hate and resentment again. Not with him.  
“I need to go to work.” She said much more calmly. She gathered the food containers he had prepared for her and all the biscuits. Then took a step to him and kissed him “Thank you.” She was a weakling but she could not stand the idea of fighting with him, of being mad at him.  
He grabbed her arm gently “Take it easy, please.”  
Aelin rolled her eyes and left the kitchen in silence.  
Rowan sighed and went back washing all the dishes.

Rowan had a quiet morning in the shop. He had changed the main display in the window and had gone for a winter theme and had selected books that had a wintery theme or were set in that season. He had added a few props and he was quite satisfied. Then he had taken some pictures and shared them as Aelin had showed him. His social media accounts were working and, especially on Facebook, people were engaging with him.  
Aelin was still the admin of the page and she would still manage most of the content for him.  
He browsed through the page and marvelled at the amazing job she had done. Then he looked at his followers and found her, Lysandra and Aedion and smiled.  
Out of curiosity he clicked on her profile and studied it a bit and the first imagine that appeared made him smile. It was a picture of her holding her ultrasound scan of their babies. He read the comments and laughed, although he assumed Lysandra had found out a moment later after he did. Scrolling a bit more he saw a picture of her bragging about her engagement ring and her upcoming pagan wedding. She was always smiling in her photos and he could not keep his eyes off her. Her smile was the first thing that had floored him the day she walked into the shop. He sighed. It felt such a long time ago and he could not believe how much it had happened already.   
He kept scrolling through her profile and noticed she had been sharing a lot of her life in the islands and also a lot of the posts he had made from the bookshop profile. And then a wild idea hit him. His hand clicked on create profile and step by step he created his profile. As a photo he used the one of a buzzard he found online. A joke that only Aelin would get. Then he went on her profile and added her, Lysandra and Aedion as friends. And that was it for him. He was not interested in more.  
A moment later a notification appeared saying that Aelin had accepted his friendship and at the same time his phone went off.  
“Hey.”  
 _“Did you just joined Facebook? Did I create a monster?”_ On the other side Aelin sounded shocked.  
“I was posting my new display on the bookshop page. Then I saw that you follow the page and had a nosey at your profile and got curious and created one myself. But I am only having you three as friends. I am not sure I will like it.”  
 _“I love the profile photo by the way. You two look very alike.”_  
“How are you feeling?” He changed the subject.  
 _“Your biscuits are helping a lot and I made the tea as well. I haven’t had nausea since. And don’t worry. Malcolm has been fussing like a mother hen.”_  
Rowan laughed and decided to thank the man next time he saw him.  
 _“I got to go. Sorry. Love you.”_  
Rowan hang up and went back playing with Facebook. The store was quiet and all the paperwork was done. He could indulge in a bit of silliness. He had noticed that both Lysandra and Aedion had accepted his friendship and Aedion had also messaged him. They had started chatting and found out that he and Lysandra were working hard on their plan to move to the islands. He had applied to some jobs and was waiting for a reply.   
He did not realise how much he had spent talking to Aedion until the door opened and Aelin appeared.  
“Hello you.” He said, coming out from behind the counter.  
She slammed into him for a hug with just one arm. The other one was holding a bag full of food. He frowned.  
He took the bag and placed it on the counter and went back to Aelin.  
“Hi you.” His voice was soft as he cupped her face with one hand.  
“I brought cake as a peace offering.”  
“Why?”  
Aelin sighed “I was not nice this morning. You were just looking after me and I shouted and I almost said things that I would have regretted forever. It’s just…” she looked away for a moment “The hormones. I realise I have been moody lately. We haven’t fought as much as in the past few weeks. But I still need to apologise.”  
“We are fine.” Rowan kissed her “I am not worried about our fights. They are more spats because we are both stubborn. They are not out of hate and we are not trying to hurt each other with words.”  
Aelin looked down “I almost did this morning.” Her hands gripped his t-shirt and tears started to flow “I thought something horrible but I stopped because I can’t hurt you.” Her tears became sobs and Rowan’s arms tightened. “I had enough of those fights with Chaol.”  
“Shhh… “ Aelin kept crying and he rocked her gently.  
“I am a mess. A patient gave me a hug because I helped her dad and I cried. I am happy, then sad then angry, then back to sad. I am going insane.”  
Rowan held her tight “then I hid in my office sobbing when I realised we can’t get married on Beltaine.”  
He looked down at her “Why?”  
“Have you ever seen a woman pregnant with twins at five months? I’ll get huge. I will not fit in the dress and will not be able to dance with you at the ceilidh.” Her sobs intensified “And I want to do all those things.”  
“Hey, we can wait.” His hand caressed her head “we’ll get married whenever you feel ready.”  
She finally stopped crying and looked up at him “but our kids will be there too.” Finally a smile.  
“We are a scandalous couple.” He joked and she looked at him puzzled “kids out of wedlock? You ruined me miss Galathynius.”

***

Slowly the winter months had passed and spring knocked at the door and March arrived.  
Rowan was on its way to the hospital to meet Aelin. On that day they had and appointment with Yrene and they hoped to be able to find out the sex of their kids. They had tried on a few previous appointments but the babies were never in a favourable positions. He hoped this time was the right time. Especially because they had a bet going on. Rowan was sure it was one of each, Aelin was positive it was two girls. If Rowan won, he would eat two slices of one of Aelin’s favourite super sugary cakes, whether if Aelin was the winner he had promised a sexy massage with oils. Aelin really wanted to win.  
He got to Yrene’s office and noticed the woman was alone.  
“Hi Rowan, Aelin has been held up. She will be here soon.”  
Rowan sighed and used that occasion to talk with Yrene.  
“I have some questions.”  
“Absolutely. Ask away.”  
Rowan nodded “I have been reading some books on childbirth and I read that multi pregnancies can be a bit more challenging, which makes sense. But I am worried about some of the things I read.”  
“That is normal. And I know it can be scary. I am planning on testing Aelin today for pre-eclampsia. Aelin’s babies share a single placenta, so you will have identical twins. This means her scans will be more frequent as there are other issues that might arise.” Yrene explained “Chances are they will be premature, but we can discuss a planned delivery as well when Aelin comes back.”  
“Is that the safest options?”  
“Yes. It’s the one I’d recommend.”Yrene suggested “but if she doesn’t want she can try and deliver naturally. I will try to get her as close as possible to term, but her body will decided when it’s time. There is a possibility that she will be confined to bed rest.”  
“She will not like that.” Added Rowan, worried “Is there anything I can do to help?”  
“Be supportive. Make sure she doesn’t tire too much and that she eats healthy. She is her second trimester so her hormones are probably running wild. Just don’t take it personally if she shouts at you. The more the pregnancy progress the more uncomfortable she will be.”  
Another question popped in his head and he felt embarrassment rise “Aelin wants to… do stuff. I am just nervous that it might not be a good idea.”  
Yrene nodded and smiled “that is up to you two. Right now it is still possible but soon it will be quite difficult for Aelin. There are no risks for now but I will not exclude a no sex policy later on, it all depends on her health. Always let her decide, see what she is comfortable with.”  
“But it’s not dangerous for the babies… I mean my…” he was now red with embarrassment.  
Yrene laughed out loud “I will be frank, Rowan. Now matter how well equipped you are, there is no chance you’ll get that far up.”  
His blush was now savage.  
“Just wanted to be sure.”  
“Of course.”  
In that moment Aelin joined them and laughed at Rowan’s state “why is Rowan blushing?”  
Yrene laughed “he asked if his downstairs friend can hurt the babies during sex.”  
Aelin roared in laughter “You are perfect, but let’s be realistic.” And the two women laughed.  
“So, are you ready for the big reveal?” Yrene announced changing the subject and giving a chance to Rowan to recover.  
Aelin smiled and slowly dragged herself to the bed, and Rowan helped her when he saw her struggle.  
“Hopefully they are in a good position.”  
“I hope so, I have a bet to win.” Aelin grinned laying down and exposing her swollen stomach.  
Yrene spread the gel and began her job. Aelin stared at the screen and tried to brush up her skill from her ob/gyn rotation to remember how to spot the sex.  
She sat on her elbows and gasped “Is that a girl?”  
“Well spotted. She is very clear.”  
Rowan stared at the screen and felt stupid when all he could see were blobs. He trusted them.  
“The second is hiding,” said Aelin caressing one side of her belly “come on darling, mama wants to know.”  
Rowan moved at her side and placed a hand on hers on her stomach “dad too.”  
They waited for a while but it looked like the second baby had no intention of moving. Yrene was about to call it quits when Aelin shifted and the baby shifted as well and in that second it revealed itself.  
Aelin screamed in delight “Two girls! I win.”  
“Yrene hasn’t confirmed it yet.” Said Rowan.  
The doctor laughed “It’s two girls, Rowan.”  
He had a massive grin. He lowered and kissed Aelin.  
“I want my prize tonight.”  
“Yes, my Queen.”

“Twin girls,” said Aelin dreamingly while they were both walking back to the A&E.  
“And Yrene said they are identical as well.”  
Aelin nodded “I knew that.” She turned to him and smiled “we’ll have to find a way to tell them apart.”  
He kissed her head.  
They reached the pit and Malcolm was walking to them “so, who won the bet?”  
“This girl here is having a sexy massage tonight.”  
Malcolm smiled “so it’s two girls.”  
Rowan and Aelin nodded proudly.  
“Congratulations, guys.” And he hugged them both.  
“Aelin, patient in bed 4 needs your care again.”  
Aelin swore and turned to Rowan “I have to go.” She kissed him and Rowan placed a hand on her belly.  
“I love you. And I’ll see you three tonight.”  
She waved at him and left, leaving Rowan with Malcolm.  
“Look after my girls, please.” Rowan asked to the man “Asking Aelin to slow down seem to be an impossible challenge.”  
Malcolm patted his shoulder “I have a plan. I will keep an eye on her while she is here.”  
“Thank you.”  
Then Rowan said goodbye and went back to work at the bookshop.

Aelin came home at a decent time and Rowan was in the living room reading a book while waiting for her.  
Aelin noticed his wicked smile and walked to him.  
“Someone looks naughty.”  
He kissed her in response and she straddled him. His hands went on the bump and lifted her scrub to reveal the swollen belly. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the side. Aelin had felt the girls move but he hand’t been able yet and he was dying to feel them kick for the first time.   
“My three girls are finally home.” And kissed the belly.  
Aelin stood and smiled at him and then disappeared in their room.  
A moment later she called him and he followed. Once in the room he noticed she was wearing a long blue gown.  
She took a step to him “I am very tired.” She undid the sash of the gown “I won a massage…”slowly she lowered one side of the gown, exposing her right shoulder and the top of her breast “A sexy one if I remember correctly.” Another step and now the gown was low on her arms, exposing her upper body “I am so very tired.” She repeated letting the gown pool at her feet standing in front of him naked.  
Rowan went to his drawer and took out something, then pointed to Aelin to get on the bed. She sat on her knees and he took position behind her.  
He undid her braid and took in her scent of jasmine and lavender. He pushed the hair on one side and kissed her neck and she leaned back into him.  
“You are gorgeous.”  
“I am a whale.” She replied stretching her hands behind her to touch him.  
“You are stunning.” His hands traced her arms up and down, then took her hands and placed them on her bump with his, his mouth kept tormenting her neck.  
Then he removed the hands and grabbed the small bottle at his side. He dropped some of the liquid in his hands and began his massage from her shoulders.  
“Is that pine scent I smell?”  
Rowan nibbled her ear “correct.”  
“Are you marking the territory?” She joked.  
“Of course.” He licked her neck “you are my woman and now carry my offspring. It’s my role as alpha male to mark what is mine,” he laughed.  
“Territorial bastard.”  
Rowan kept massaging her shoulders and back kneading the sore spots and Aelin moaned “oh yes,” she exclaimed when he hit a spot on her lower back “your hands are amazing.”   
“I was thinking…” he said while his hands moved lower “what about names?”  
Aelin’s eyes were closed and she was enjoying his treatment “Do you have ideas?”  
His mouth was on her neck again “I thought about it, today at work.” He grabbed a bit more oil and moved to her arms and her sides, with fingers brushing her breasts.  
“Tell me,” she sounded breathless.  
“Freyja.”  
“The goddess of love and fertility. She is quite badass.”  
His hands finally found their target on her breasts and Aelin moaned. She was hypersensitive and his touch sent her reeling “I love it.” She managed in the end. He continued his massage.  
“What’s the second?”  
He palmed her breasts one more time and Aelin moaned throwing her head back on his shoulder.  
“Don’t get mad. I just really adore the name.”  
“What is it?”  
“Morrigan.”  
Aelin chuckled “the goddess of war.” Her hands covered his “big expectations for our daughters, I see?”  
“I just like the names very much, but we will look for others if you don’t like them. They are just ideas.”  
“I love them.” She half turned her head to meet his eyes “They are epic. I adore them.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Positive.”  
“Sit against the head of the bed.” She did that and he stood on his knees between her legs. He smiled tenderly at the image in front of him. To him it did not matter if Aelin called herself ugly because of her big bump, she was beautiful in his eyes.  
He grabbed a bit more oil and continued his massage at her sides down to her hips and then back up moving then on her bump. He concentrated on the bump for a while.  
“The girls are loving it.”  
“Are they moving?”  
Aelin nodded.  
He touched the bump but felt nothing.   
He continued his work along her legs, brushing gently her inner thighs and Aelin’s legs jerked at the touch.  
“I think you missed a spot.” She laughed and a wicked smile appeared on Rowan’s face.  
“Saving the best for last.” He leaned forward and kissed her. In that instant his hand went between her legs and Aelin moaned “about friggin time.”  
He was busy teasing her when Aelin stiffened and he stopped.  
“What?”  
She grabbed his hands and placed them on one side of her belly.  
Rowan waited for a moment and then he felt it. A kick. A powerful kick against his hand.  
“Guess our girls approve of their dad giving their mum a good time.”  
Rowan glared at her, then lowered on the bump, his hands still on the spot where the kicks were and he kissed it as well “Your mum is very naughty.”  
“And you haven’t finished worshipping me,” and Aelin spread her legs but Rowan was far too busy feeling his daughters.  
“This is amazing.” He whispered, caressing the bump. Aelin’s hand twined in his hair “Come here.” Rowan leaned forward to her while his hand was firmly on the bump. Feeling his girls kick was an incredible feeling and he didn’t want to miss a single moment of it.  
He kissed her deeply “Did I tell you how happy am I?’  
She shook her head and he kissed her again.  
Then he moved at her side and leaned against her shoulder, with his hand still on the bump “A part of me was for a moment terrified when you told me we were having twins. I was elated at first but the next day all the panic started to hit me. What if I was not ready? what if it was too soon? What if I was not going to be a good dad?” He let his feelings go “And I am terrified. I read all about how multiple pregnancies can be dangerous. That’s why I am fussing. I want to make sure you three are okay. I can’t wait to meet our girls but I am terrified at the same time.” He looked up at her.  
“I am scared too.” She admitted brushing his hair “I spoke to one of the nurses who had twins a year ago and now I am just as terrified as you are.” She kissed his forehead “and we will be fine and I know you will be the most amazing, most caring dad our girls could have.”   
He kissed her shoulder “I have an idea to run past you.” He confessed and she nodded.  
“I was thinking about our housing situation.” He started and grabbed her hand “As soon as the twins arrive, the house might become a bit too small. We can use your old room for them until they are little and sleep in a crib but after that, the room might be a bit too small for two people.” He explained “So I did some research and I found a great place. A lovely croft in great conditions just outside Stornoway. It has four bedrooms, a kitchen that is huge, two floors and a bathroom on each level, and on the ground floor there is a massive room that can easily become our own library. It comes with a nice whack of land that we can use for planting veggies and fruits or for animals if we want a wee farm.” He told her and saw Aelin’s face lit up in joy “There is plenty of space and nature.”  
Aelin was now in tears which he hoped were tears of joy “I love it.” She whispered.  
“I can sell my house and I have savings too. We can buy it and renovate it to our liking.”  
Aelin nodded “I have saving too and I can help. This is something we do together. It’s not all on you.”  
“I went to see the other day while you were at work and I took some pictures” and he took his phone from his pocket and began showing her the images of the place.  
“It’s perfect.”  
“Are you sure? We can look for something else. I went to see it because I was curious. It seemed like a good deal. I didn’t tell you anything because I wanted it to be a surprise.”  
She brushed his hair again “It’s perfect. And I love the idea of having a library.”  
“Oh yeah.” He kissed her “we have a book problem and when I saw the gigantic room on the ground floor I knew it was the perfect place.”  
“Can you take me there?”  
Rowan nodded “Next time you have a day off we’ll go and see it.”  
“Good.” And she kissed him “now go back to your job, Buzzard. You haven’t finished your massage and definitely missed a spot.”  
And Rowan eventually finished his massage leaving Aelin very happy she had won the bet.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand chapter 25 is here. Sorry it took me a bit longer to publish.  
> In this chapter we meet and old acquaintance and briefly a new character.  
> A smidge of angst between our two idiots, but nothing to worry about... `Fluff will reign in the end.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy it.

Aelin was on her way back from the hospital. She had a day off and she had an appointment with Yrene. She was well halfway through her second trimester and Yrene wanted to do a few more checks.  
She was now in town running some errands before going to see Rowan in the shop. She was down at the marina walking along the main square when she thought she noticed a familiar silhouette. She hadn’t seen him in months but she could still recognise his figure.  
Slowly she moved closer, the man was giving her his back so she tapped gently his shoulder not to startle him.  
The man turned and she noticed his smile and his dimples appeared on his face once he recognised her. He was still the gorgeous man she had met on a beach on a sunny day a while ago, in what seemed a lifetime before.  
“Hey stranger,” she said, lifting her sunglasses on her head.  
“Aelin,” Elias went to hug her but he found an obstacle.  
“Your passion for food has gone a little out of control,” he joked kissing her cheek “I am joking, you look stunning and I also guess that congratulations are in order.” He added pointing at the bump.  
“Thanks.” She smiled at him “I just finished some errands and I was going to grab something to eat before going to Rowan’s, fancy joining me? We have some catching up to do.”  
Elias laughed out loud “I am free. I just finished a meeting and I guess my staff would be happy to have a few more hours without their boss lurking around.” He pointed in one direction “I have a suggestion for a place. It’s new and I am curious to try it out. It does amazing seafood.” Then he stopped “Shit, can you eat seafood?”  
“As long as it’s cooked I am okay with fish.”  
Elias nodded “It’s not too far. Are you oaky to walk or shall we take my car?”  
“I am okay walking, just slowly.”  
He smiled and pointed in the direction of the place they were going to. Aelin texted Rowan telling him she had met Elias and that they were going for lunch. She will be a bit late.  
His only reply was a I love you.  
They had an easy conversation all the way to the restaurant and Aelin liked the fact that they could still talk after everything. He had told her about the book he was reading at the moment. He had kept his promise and texted her with updates with all the books he had read. They talked very little about anything else but it was nice to be in touch anyway.  
“Here we are.”  
They entered the restaurant and a waiter took them to their seats. Elias, being the charming man that he was pulled out the chair for her and gave her a hand to sit down.  
“The menu is amazing.”  
“My parents were here a few nights ago and said the food is divine.”  
“Good, because I am eating for three and I am starving.”  
“So, it looks like it worked out wonderfully between you and Rowan.” He said, then he stopped “it is Rowan’s isn’t it? You are still together, right?”  
Aelin laughed “Yes. We are still together.” Then she showed him the ring “and once my girls are out we’ll get married as well.”  
“Girls?”  
“Twin girls.” Explained Aelin.  
“That is fantastic.” And he sounded genuinely pleased for her “So, when is the big day?”  
Aelin drank some of her water “it was meant to be Beltaine at Callanish, but that plan has failed, so we will wait until I have the girls which should be September but more likely end of August.”  
“Nice location getting married at Callanish.”  
“That’s were Rowan proposed, on the Winter solstice. He still follows the old ways so all these dates and places mean a lot to him.”  
Elias chuckled “I had a feeling he was someone who still followed the old ways. And I don’t mean it in a bad way.” He clarified straight away “I do too and there’s not many of us left.”  
Their food finally arrived and Aelin was impressed. It looked delicious.  
“I have another big news.” She said taking a bite of her meal.  
“You have been busy.”  
Aelin smiled “I started working at the hospital in Stornoway. I got a job as senior emergency surgeon and I run the A&E.”  
“Aelin, that is amazing.” His smile was brilliant and his dimples made an appearance. Maybe it was because she was hormonal but she found him very sexy all of a sudden “I am sorry for what I said about you wasting your life in a bookshop, but it makes me really happy knowing that you are a kick ass doctor once again. Screw the London guys.”  
She shifted on the chair and Elias noticed it “Are you okay?”  
“Yeah,” she breathed “Freyja and Morrigan have decided is time to dance, they just gave me a huge kick.”  
“Freyja and Morrigan?”  
“Rowan chose them and I love them. They are so epic.” Explained Aelin.  
“They are incredible names. I see you have very high expectations for them.”  
Aelin chuckled “that’s what I told Rowan when he confessed which names he had thought about.”  
“I agree, normal names are so overrated. You don’t want to end up calling your daughter and have half of Stornoway turning their head. I like the originality.”  
Aelin took another bite while with her free hand she was caressing her bump to try and calm down the two terrors inside her “What about you? Any news?”  
Elias took a bite as well “I have a big piece of news as well.”  
“You finally found a hot sexy woman who wants you regardless of how much money you make?” She joked and Elias laughed back. That was now their recurring joke.  
“No. But I have been offered a super cool job.”  
“Tell me everything.”  
Elias smiled “It’s in Shetland. It’s to work on a wind farm. I will be leading one of their projects and it’s an indefinite contract. it’s a very big project and they chose me.”  
Aelin took his hand “You are awesome. This is awesome. And you love Shetland.”  
Elias nodded “I do. It’s not easy leaving the islands but I am moving to other islands so not a big change. And the job is super awesome. I found a house on Unst. The most viking of the islands. I have remains of viking settlements within walking distance. It’s huge but I am excited.”  
“When do you start?”  
“In two weeks, but I am moving up next week. I sold my house here and I have been packing up.”  
“I am glad I got to meet you before you left.”  
He squeezed her hand back “me too.”  
Then she had a crazy idea “Hey, will it be too crazy if I ask you to come to our wedding? Not the ceremony, we kept that to a bare minimum, but we are planning for a big ceilidh for friends inside Lews castle. And it would make me happy if you could come too. And you can bring a plus one if you find a sexy shetlander. You don’t have to if you think it’s too weird, but you are my friend and I’d like to have you there.”  
“Just keep Rowan on a leash.”  
“I will.” She smiled back.  
“Let me know as soon as you decide the dates so I can arrange things.” Aelin nodded.  
“I am…” he stopped as if to gather his thoughts “I am glad we are still friends. Glad we can still do this.” He paused “You look super happy and I realise we have done the right thing. Had we been together it would have been very complicated, you with your new job and me with mine. It looks like everything turned out the way it was meant to. I am grateful for the time we had together but I meant what I said last time I saw you, knowing you are happy is what matters most. And your amazing smile tells me you are a long way from the woman I first met in Luskentyre.”  
Aelin nodded “A very long way.” And a few tears flew down her cheeks.  
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”  
She brushed him off “Not your fault.” She blew her nose “I cry even when I try to wear my shoes and fail. It’s the hormones.”  
“Well… I guess chocolate cake is the answer. My mum claims the chocolate cake is to die for.”  
Aelin smiled “I am ready to die then.”  
Aelin got a super slice of chocolate cake and Elias laughed, looking at her enjoying her dessert,  
After their lunch they got out and walked back to the marina. Aelin walked Elias to his car.  
She gave him a hug “Thank you for lunch. It was so nice to see you.”  
Elias squeezed her back “I am so glad we got to meet again. And I am happy for you. Really, really happy.”  
“Good luck with the job and the new life on Shetland. I wish you happiness.” She kissed his cheek.  
He pulled back “Now, m’lady, alas, I have to take my ass back to work, I guess my team has enjoyed far too much freedom for today.” And he laughed.  
Aelin smiled back “Go. I will be fine. I am going to Rowan’s shop.”  
“I will be too busy thinking about my book waiting for me at home.”  
He unlocked the car and sat inside. Before closing the door he gave her a last smile and a wave.  
“Bye, mo charaid.”  
“Bye, Elias.”

Once he left, Aelin started walking to Rowan’s bookshop. She got to there and from the window she noticed Rowan was busy in a conversation with a woman with long white hair. They seemed very friendly. A bit too friendly for her tastes and Aelin felt a strange urge rise in her. Staring at them for a moment she realised it was jealousy. The woman had placed a hand on Rowan’s arm and she felt like bursting in and punch the stranger who dared so much. What was wrong with her? She just had lunch with Elias and all that Rowan said was that he loved her. She, on the other hand was fuming at a woman touching him.  
Slowly she stormed into the shop and Rowan’s gaze turned to her as soon as she stepped in and he gave her a radiant smile. Oh well, thought Aelin, at least he can still acknowledge that I exist.  
She walked up to Rowan and kissed him on the mouth to mark the territory.  
“Hi you,” he said “How was lunch with Elias?” He asked happily.  
“Good.” Her tone was cold.  
“This is Manon. She was my instructor when I was swimming.”  
Manon extended her hand but Aelin did not return the gesture, instead she moved away and went to browse the bookshelves and ignored the woman.  
“That is Aelin, she is my fiancee and our two girls as well.” Rowan made the introduction, ignoring Aelin’s antics.  
“Oh my god, you are getting married and becoming a dad?” Said the woman happily.  
“I am. We have two twins girls on the way.” He explained.  
“This is amazing and you truly deserve it. After the injury and Lyria. Well, I was on team Rowan anyway.”  
Rowan flinched, not in the mood to talk about her. She was in his past, now he had an amazing future ahead of him and that’s all that mattered. “I saw Dorian at school the other day. He was with another class.” He added to veer the conversation to better topics.  
“Oh yes, he told me you have been helping his school with swimming training. How does it feel to be back in the water?”  
Rowan looked at Aelin for a moment “It was hard at the beginning. But I love it now.”  
“Good.” She touched his shoulder “How is it doing?”  
“Much better. It gave me some problems after I went back swimming, but Dorian allowed me to stay behind after the sessions and slowly i started doing laps again, but I can’t pull off butterfly anymore.” His tone was almost sad.  
Manon was about to add something but Aelin went back to the counter and dumped a few books on the counter.  
Rowan smiled at her but Aelin went back the counter and ran the books through the till herself.  
“I’d better go.” Said Manon “I have to go back to work anyway. Let me know what you think, okay?”  
“Will do. I will discuss it with Dorian tomorrow.”  
Manon waved back and left the shop.  
Rowan turned and glared at Aelin “What is wrong with you?”  
“Nothing.” She said in a flat tone.  
“Don’t lie to me.” He was in front of her, arms folded at his chest, staring at her “You have been horrible to Manon.”  
“Did I offend your girlfriend?” Her tone had an edge of venom.  
“What are you talking about?”  
“She was touching you, okay?” Aelin wanted to scream “She was all over you. And I saw the glances you exchanged.” She moved away from him.  
Rowan scoffed and ran a hand through his hair “She did not.” He paced the shop “Manon is married. She is married with Dorian and she has been for five years and they have kids. There has never been anything between us. Never.” He snarled back at her. “You just went to lunch with Elias and I did not complain about it. And there was definitely something between the two of you. I should be the jealous one, but I am not because I trust you.”  
“Oh, Saint Rowan.” She mocked him “I’d kneel but I am afraid I might never get back up again.”  
“Did you forget the ‘be nice’ pills this morning? Or the hospital has kidnapped nice Aelin and returned to me the evil version?”  
Aelin growled “You know what?”  
“What?” He growled back.  
She grabbed the bag with the books and moved away from the counter and headed for the door “Come back home when you are less in a bad mood.” And she left, leaving Rowan stunned and still trying to understand what had happened.  
She had been having really bad mood swings and he had been trying to be as understanding and supportive as possible. But this whole jealousy thing had been insane. He felt bad for fighting, she did not need that. His mind kept telling him to close the shop and go home but he had a feeling that would be a bad idea. It was best to wait until later, give her a chance to calm down and relax so that they could talk later in a civil way.  
Customers came in but he could not enjoy the rest of the day. His mind kept playing the fight they had.  
It was finally time to close the shop and he decided to make one stop before heading home. He went to his aunt’s place.  
“Hi darling.”  
“Hi,” he kissed her on the cheek “please tell me you have chocolate cake left. Aelin and I had a fight and I need a peace offering.”  
“Why on earth are you fighting with a pregnant woman?”  
“I didn’t… I …” he gave up “because I am an idiot.” He sighed.  
“Rowan, look after her and don’t stress her too much.”  
“No, aunt Maeve.” He replied with a flat, bored tone.  
His aunt came back a moment later with a big container “I had half left. Bring it home to Aelin.”  
“A couple of slices would have been perfect.”  
Maeve folded her arms at her chest “Rowan Whitethorn, I will close in half an hour. Bring the cake left to Aelin and grovel properly.”  
He sighed “Fine.”  
He started walking home and tried to calm down his nerves. Why was he the one who had to grovel? She was the one who got mad at him for nothing. _Yes, you idiot,_ said his conscience _but she is pregnant. Swallow your pride and apologise._  
He turned the keys in the lock and was nervous at the climate waiting for him on the other side.  
He stepped into the hallway and was about to remove his shoes when a cyclone of blonde hair engulfed him. Aelin had jumped into his arms and he had to hold onto the wall to avoid falling both on the floor.  
“I am sorry,” she said between tears “I am so, so sorry, I was horrible. I am sorry.”  
With one arm he folded it around her and kissed her head “let me come in the house properly and we can talk.”  
Aelin nodded and pulled away from him and her eyes went wide when she noticed the container in his hands. She knew it was from his aunt.  
He moved to the living room and sat on the sofa and Aelin stood in front of him, not sure of what to do. He seemed still quite mad at her.  
He patted the space beside him “Don’t be silly and sit down.”  
She did so. Then she was about to speak but he stopped her.  
“I am not mad, I promise but I did not like your reaction. I know you are pregnant and are going through all sorts of tough stuff just now but I did not like how you behaved with Manon.”  
Aelin looked up at him meeting his eyes “I am sorry. I don’t know what got into me but all of a sudden I was jealous. You were in the shop with this gorgeous woman and a part of me got so jealous because I am not that anymore. Now I am only this annoying oversized woman who has to pee every two minutes, cries all the time and can’t even tie her shoes. I lost it okay?” She forced her tears back so not to prove the point that she was a walking sobbing mess. “I am a possessive bitch but you are mine now and I hate seeing women around you.” She sniffled “and I know this is all because of Chaol and I am terrified. Scared to death that one day you’ll just dump me because you don’t find me attractive anymore and decide to have fun with a younger model.”  
Rowan opened his mouth as if to add something but Aelin stopped him “I want to be the only one. I am the only one.” A big sob eventually slipped out of her.  
Rowan pulled her close to him “Aelin…”  
Aelin sniffled “It’s just the four of us.”  
He turned her face to him “It’s only you, me and our girls. I don’t need a new model. I don’t want a new model.” He gave her a chaste kiss “and I still find you extremely hot.”  
“Now you are lying.”  
“I am not. Aelin, you take my breath away every day. You amaze me and yes, sometimes drive me completely nuts,” he grabbed her left hand “but when I gave you this ring and I promised you to make you happy and be at your side no matter what, i meant it. You came into my life like a tornado and disrupted every plan I had. And I love you for that.” Another kiss, this time less chaste “Manon is a friend and I am definitely not her type and Dorian would probably kill me. Will you trust me?”  
Aelin nodded “Yes. I—“ a very deep kiss stopped her and she leaned into it. Rowan’s hand trailed along her back and when they came up for air they were both breathless.  
_“Aoram dhuit.”_  
“What does that mean?”  
“ _I will worship you_ and the Queen of my heart that you are.”  
Aelin patted her bump “girls, dad is being cheesy again.”  
Rowan pushed her on her back and lifted her t-shirt and kissed her belly “don’t listen to her. Also, I need to tell you that your mum is gorgeous and fierce and although she can drive me mad, I really love her. And I love you two as well.”  
Rowan felt the kick and his eyes gleamed in happiness.  
“They are already taking sides.”  
He caressed her bump and placed a few more kisses “I am looking forward to meet them.”  
She ruffled his hair “I am not super excited about the pushing part but yes, I am looking forward to have them in our life.”  
He leaned forward for a kiss.  
“Ro?”  
“What?” He asked looking up at her.  
“What do you have to discuss with Dorian?”  
Rowan took her hand in his “My job as a swimming assistant as a teacher is finished now because they found a permanent replacement.” He explained. She was about to add something but he stopped her “Dorian is a swimming instructor in the team I used to compete in and sometimes helps with schools as well. I saw him when I was there last time. One of the swimming coaches is leaving and he asked to take the job.”  
Aelin gasped “That is awesome.”  
“I told him I have to think about it first.”  
“Why?” Aelin sounded super excited but Rowan raised an eyebrow.  
“I already have a job. A full time one. We will soon be parents. And if I take the job it means I will have to work a few evenings a week and on Sunday morning. And once our girls arrive it will be precious time that I am not willing to give up.” He explained to her.  
“But you want to do it.”  
He sighed and nodded.  
“We’ll find a way.” Aelin kissed his forehead tenderly then brushed her hand in his hair that was getting slightly longer.  
He shook his head “No. It’a too much.” He added “I want to spend my evening with you and when the girls are here I want to be with them. And in a few months you might need help as well. It’s just not the right time.”  
“It’s not fair. Can’t you just do the Sunday morning? Explain Dorian the situation.”  
Rowan kissed her “That’s why I was planning on talking to him. See if we can find an alternative. Also…” and she noticed he looked away for a second, then his green eyes were back on her “I was thinking on hiring an assistant for the shop. So that if I have to be away I don’t have to close.”  
“I will help you find the perfect one. I am great at interviewing people.” She cracker her knuckles “Leave it to me.”  
“We’ll do it together. He or she will be my assistant and I need to meet the person as well.”  
“Fine.” Agreed Aelin folding her arms at her chest “But no hot females. If they lay a hand on you or look at you in a way I do not approve they are out.”  
Rowan laughed and stood “I have chosen such a violent woman.”  
“I am not kidding, Whitethorn. You are my man, we went through all sorts of drama to get where we are. I can become a possessive bitch.”  
He leaned down and kissed “I love my fire breathing bitch.”  
Aelin scoffed “You’d better, old man.” Then she stood and went to pick up the container with the cake “Now, I believe you brought me cake. And it’s my prerogative as mother of your daughters to eat it.”  
Rowan laughed and went to get a fork for her “At least save some for tomorrow.”  
Aelin ignored him and started eating the cake making sexy noises.  
“Get a room you two.”  
“Oh yes, gladly.” And she leaned with her back against him.  
“Cheating on me with a cake…”  
Rowan kissed her head “I love you.”  
“I love you too.” Said Aelin to the cake.

The next day Rowan was at home and was on the sofa reading. Aelin was running late and he was not happy. Yrene had been very clear to her to take it easy but it seemed Aelin was not good at following that advice.  
Eventually the door opened and Aelin came in and Rowan’s chest tightened. She looked a mess.  
“Finally.”  
“Don’t,” she said in a tone that did not admit any other comment. She threw her bag on the floor and walked in the kitchen and groaned when there was no food ready.  
“I had no idea at what time you’d be back so I haven’t prepared anything. I can cook something now.”  
Aelin turned her back to him and walked away.  
Rowan sighed and followed her in their bedroom.  
“I can make dinner, if you are hungry.”  
Once in the room he saw Aelin sitting on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands. She was sobbing.  
Rowan sprang to her and in an instant he was kneeling in front of her, his hands on her thighs “Aelin, what’s wrong?”  
Aelin raised her face and looked at him “I had a bad day at work.”  
“What happened?”  
She sobbed loudly “This…. boy…” she sobbed louder “I couldn’t…” Rowan’s arms went around her as soon as he understood what she was talking about.  
“I am sorry, mo chridhe, I am so sorry…” and she melted in his arms letting out all the tears she had to force herself not to shed while at work.  
Finally, ten minutes later, Aelin pulled back and breathed deeply and tried to regain a bit of composure, being hormonal did not help either “I am fine.” With the back of her hand she brushed away the tears.  
“Are you hungry?”  
Aelin nodded “I am so hungry.”  
Rowan stood but Aelin grabbed his hand “I want Korean.” She confessed “Malcolm and I were talking about food today and he was telling me about the asian food he had tried when he was in Asia with the Navy and it sounded amazing.”  
“I can give it a go.” He kissed her “You take a shower, I’ll have a look at some recipes online and I will pop at the supermarket.”  
Aelin went to the shower and Rowan left for the kitchen.  
She took a very long shower and her two girls had been kicking the whole time. Once she was done she got out of the shower and got dressed.  
A few minutes later she went to the kitchen and noticed Rowan unpacking his grocery shopping “I think I can cook you a Korean dish.” He leaned forward and kissed her “And I got you a chocolate cake, you favourite biscuits and the smoothie you like. Are you still craving them?”  
“Yes, I always crave chocolate cake and as you know I finished the one from your aunt.”  
He gave her a side look.  
“Don’t stare at me like that. It was too good to be left behind. Plus I might have woken up during the night and scoffed all the remaining cake.”  
Rowan shook his head and started preparing her dinner.  
She tried to hug him from behind while he was cooking “I can’t even hold you from behind anymore. Rowan turned her and he hugged her and pulled her back to his chest “But I can do this…” and he stretched his hands on her bump “I love this so much.” And he got a kick in reply.  
“The girls love your hands too.” Then she pulled away “but now cook please or I’ll start eating you.”  
Rowan gave her a naughty smile and she gently patted him on the shoulder.  
“Go and sit on the sofa.” He kissed her head.  
Aelin nodded and went to the living room and left him alone to cook. She noticed the book he had left on the sofa and smiled when he realised it was her pregnancy book. He had made notes and added post its. It looked like Rowan was actually studying the book.  
“You are taking this book very seriously.”  
He turned his head “It’s good and it gives me a lot of info. I like to have an idea of what’s happening.” Aelin put the book down “You keep reading and taking notes. I will be the one sitting the final exam.”  
“Will you want me inside the delivery room with you?” He looked at her over his shoulder.  
Aelin looked up at him in surprise “You don’t have to. It’s very gory.”  
She saw him walk towards her and kneel at her feet “I’d love to, if you feel comfortable having me around during such time. If you don’t I’ll be pacing outside like a good old fashioned dad.”  
She brushed his hair “I’d love for you to see our daughters being born, cut their cords and see their first moments of life. It would mean a lot to me. Just… don’t faint. I work in that hospital. I have a reputation to maintain.”  
He half stood and kissed her “Thank you.”  
Half an hour later Rowan called her for dinner and she stood quickly. The food smelled amazing.  
She reached the table and saw a massive feast in front of her “How did you manage to cook al this in such a short time?”  
“I have secret powers.” He told her while helping her to sit on the table bench “and it’s very healthy too. All the recipes have lots of veggies.”  
“But you got me cake to balance the high level of healthy food.”  
He rolled his eyes in response “vegetables will not kill you, you know?”  
“That’s what you say.” She answered, taking at the same time a gigantic bite of the food in front of her. It was incredibly delicious. While chatting away during dinner, Rowan gave her an update on their new house. In the end he had taken her to see the croft and Aelin fell in love with it. So they bought in the end and once the bureaucratic part was over they had finally started the renovations jobs. “Luckily there is not much to do so they think we can move in in slightly over a month.”  
Aelin beamed in delight. She was really looking forward to it. The house was much bigger and she and Rowan had also hired someone to create the floor to ceiling bookcases for them for their library.  
“We will need to hire a removal company though. There is no way you can move everything by yourself.”  
“We don’t need to. The kitchen and the bedroom are staying since we sold them with the house. It’s just a lot of bookcases and loads of boxes full of books.”  
Aelin rolled her eyes. Only in the attic there were about thirty five of her boxes of books, plus all of his and all the ones in the living room. They were hopeless book hoarders, and she loved it. “You can’t.” She replied “Aedion and Lys are not going to be here for another two months,” then an idea popped in her head “I can ask Malcolm. I can offer him to work a couple of his weekends. He’ll love it.”  
“Aelin, you don’t have to.”  
She sighed heavily “Damn, man you can be so stubborn that sometimes I want to slap you.”  
“I might like it” and his eyes flashed with mirth “I just feel bad for poor Mal.”  
“Then let’s hire a removal company.”  
Rowan lifted his arms “I yield. Fine. Never argue with a pregnant woman” he leaned forward and kissed her.  
She wiggled her finger in his direction “prepare yourself to never win again “and she laughed hard.  
“I am not sure if I want to enter this future marriage with this attitude.”  
She kissed him back “Dinner was amazing. Thank you so much.” 

It was the middle of the night when Aelin woke up all of a sudden and moved as quickly as she could and ran to the bathroom and was sick. She was feeling horrible and a terrible headache was killing her head. She was still hugging the toilet, sitting down on the floor when Rowan reached her “What’s happening?”  
She did not reply straight away as her stomach heaved again, once she was done she leaned against the wall “I don’t feel well.”  
“I can see that. We should go to the hospital.”  
She shook her head “I am fine” and her stomach protested again.  
“Did I give you food poisoning?”  
“No. Dinner was amazing.” She took his hand in hers “I am fine.”  
“Can we please go to the hospital? Get you checked? I read on the book about some pathologies that might arise, especially in multiple pregnancies and your symptoms match.”  
Aelin shook her head “Yrene had me checked recently for pre-eclampsia and I am in the clear.”  
“Please?”  
“Fine. I am letting you win.”  
Rowan helped her get up and she brushed her teeth. Then went to the room and got changed. A t-shirt was not the attire to go to the hospital.  
Half an hour later they were in the A&E and it was quiet. They walked in and Malcolm spotted them.  
“What are you doing here? Are you here to check on me?” He gave her a big smile.  
“Aelin hasn’t been well and we came in for a quick check to see if everything is okay.”  
“Rowan is fussing.” That was all Aelin added before sitting down on one of the chairs in the waiting room.  
“Let me get in touch with the ob/gyn on call.” And Malcolm disappeared.  
He came back a little later with Sorscha and she smiled. She liked the woman and she was Yrene’s second.  
“Hi you.” The woman said.  
“Sorry to be a pest.”  
“I am on call, it’s my job. And Yrene will kill me if I ignored you.”  
They walked to an empty bed and Rowan helped Aelin to get on. Then Sorscha asked the two men to go for a walk and let her work in peace without the two of them hovering. Rowan was not happy but he followed Malcolm.  
Rowan was on his own when Sorscha went to him. He stood as soon as he noticed the woman walking towards him “How is she?”  
“She is fine. I did a few tests on her and she is doing fine.”  
“She was sick and was complaining about a strong headache. My book has listed those symptoms as the ones for preeclampsia. I am just worried.”  
Sorscha shook her head “Her blood pressure is good and she has no protein in her urine. She is okay for now and I know Yrene is keeping an eye on her. It might have been dinner. Perhaps it was too rich and she did not digest it properly?”  
Rowan sighed “Aelin asked me to cook Korean. She had craving for it.” His hand brushed his hair in a gesture of nervousness “I made her sick.”  
Sorscha placed a hand on his arm “I don’t think it was your fault. I have seen Aelin eat in the cafeteria and the woman has an iron stomach, it might just have been a bad night. It was not your fault.”  
“Can I take her home?”  
“Of course. Give me ten minutes for the discharge papers and she is all yours.”  
As soon as he saw Aelin walking back to him he rushed to her and placed an arm around her shoulders.  
“I am fine. I told you.” She said, looking up to him.  
“Well, I am allowed to be worried about my girls. All of you.”  
“Fine. You win.”  
He kissed her and together they got back home. 

“I am not sleepy anymore,” she protested once they were back at home and he pushed for her to go back to bed.  
“Aelin, you need to sleep.”  
“Well, so do you… but you don’t see me nagging you.”  
He changed back into his pyjama and left the room ignoring her complaints. He came back ten minutes later with a book in his hands.  
“Lie down.”  
Aelin was about to protest but he kissed her “would you listen to me for once?”  
Eventually she listened to him and relaxed on her side and he took his place beside her, his face in front of her bump “What are you doing?”  
“Reading to Freyja and Morrigan.”  
Aelin laughed and ran her hand through her hair “What are you reading them?”  
“The Little Prince.”  
“I love it.”  
He kissed the bump and snuggled closer “ _Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing._ ” And he turned the book as if to show the image to the twins.  
Aelin fell asleep pretty quickly at the sound of his voice. But Rowan kept reading, a hand now on the bump, enjoying every single movements from his daughters. He read until the end “ _Look up at the sky. Ask yourselves: is it yes or no? Has the sheep eaten the flower? And you will see how everything changes . . . And no grown-up will ever understand that this is a matter of so much importance._ ” He kissed the bump and slid back up, placing the book on the nightstand and switching off the lights. His arm then went around Aelin’s waist in a protective embrace “Good night, my loves.” 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! Chapter 26 is finally here. 
> 
> So, Aelin and Rowan go on an adventure for a while because something happens (you will found out what in the first line)
> 
> Toward the middle, they have a Harry Potter chat. I am not a fan but i inserted the dialogue because of where they are.  
> And guess where Rowan gets sorted?  
> Also, sorry I was nasty to Gryffindors... the little I know about them it's enough for me not to like them. Once a Slytherin always a Slytherin.
> 
> All the locations I have mentioned and the restaurant actually exists. Please google them if you are curious :)
> 
> Aelin during one part of the trip sings a song (near Loch Lomond)  
> The song she sings is Loch Lomond by Runrig. This is a very, very sad song but is also one of those that it's almost impossible not to sing along. At least the version by Runrig.  
> You can listen to it here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHu0h9XaNcg
> 
> As of this morning I officially wrote the last sentence in the fic.  
> One chapter still has some parts that needs developing, plus my usual editing but i wrote the end this morning. 
> 
> Anyway, for now I'll leave you with chapter 26.
> 
> Have fun :)

It was the beginning of May and Aelin and Rowan were packing for a small adventure. Two months before they had received an invitation from Elide and Lorcan to attend their wedding in Glasgow. They had accepted and they were now getting ready for their little getaway. This was going to be their last chance to have a holiday before the arrival of the twins.  
Lysandra was going to look after Rowan’s shop. She and Aedion had arrived a bit earlier than scheduled as he had been asked to start working a bit earlier. Lysandra, on the other hand did not have as much luck on the work front. Her job had been put on hold for the foreseeable future so when she had overheard Rowan talking about hiring as assistant for the shop she had volunteered. She had admitted that she was not a book nerd like the two of them but she liked to read so she was happy to run the shop. He had given an intensive training and once he was happy he decided to leave her in charge while he was away with Aelin.

“I can’t find my hoodie.” Aelin grunted while she was finishing packing her case.  
Their house was now a sea of boxes. They were a few weeks away from moving to their new place. The works had taken longer than expected which in the end it turned out to be a blessing. Lys and Aedion were there and they had offered to help with the move. Aedion had joked that they were Aelin’s personal removal company.  
“Which one?”  
“Yours. The uni of Glasgow one. It’s big enough that I can fit my huge belly in it.”  
Rowan came back two minutes later with the hoodie in his hands “You can’t function without me.”  
She stuck her tongue out and donned the hoodie “It’s far too early in the morning.”  
“We need to leave in half an hour. Is your bag ready?”  
“Yes. It was ready last night but then I realised I forgot some bits.” And she placed her Scotland’s guide in her carry on backpack.  
“You don’t need that.” He said pointing at the book “I know Glasgow very well.”  
“It was mostly for the drive from Skye to Glasgow.”  
“I know that very well too. I have done it a million times.” He grabbed the book from her.  
“Fine.” And he put the book aside.  
Ten minutes later she announced to Rowan that she was ready to go and he sighed in relief. They had a ferry to catch and he was being his paranoid self.  
He grabbed her suitcase and his duffel bag and walked out to the car to load it. Once he was done he went back to the house. Aelin was already in the car and noticed him coming back with a bulky pillow that he bought her to help her for the long road trip and stay as comfortable as possible. She smiled and noticed his other hand holding a bag. A moment later she found out that bag contained snacks for their very long car ride. Since the accident with the Korean he had been even more careful with her food.  
“Are you ready?” He got in the car and made sure she was all set to go.  
Aelin smiled “Punch it.”  
They arrived in Tarbert with plenty of time for their ferry. Rowan had gone to buy the tickets and Aelin waited in the car all excited for this big adventure. She had driven a part of the road they were taking when she arrived a year before but she knew that with Rowan as a guide it would be much, much more different.  
She had a look at her phone and realised that a year ago exactly on that day she had arrived on Lewis and walked into his shop and changed their lives.  
She patted her belly “It’s a big day today for mum and dad.”  
“I am back.” Said Rowan while getting back in the car and placing a ticket on the dashboard of the car “They should start loading soon.”  
“Is this one of those where we can go on deck?”  
“Yes, we will be able to go on deck. It’s a gorgeous day. This is an amazing crossing.”  
Aelin took Rowan’s hand a placed it on her bump “Do you know which day is it today?”  
He stared at her “hmmm… I think it’s the day when my favourite menace walked into my shop looking for books and never left.”  
“Happy anniversary.” She whispered while leaning forward to kiss him.  
“Thank you for coming into my shop.”

It was over an hour later when they docked in the tiny village of Uig on the Isle of Skye. And Aelin was in hyper mode already. When he told her they were going via Skye she had started reading all about it and it looked like the most magical place she had ever seen. They would stop in a few places along the road but they had planned to stop a bit more on their way back when they had more time.  
They got back on the road and not long after she noticed Rowan taking a very small road “Where are we going?”  
“There is a place I need to show you.”  
They arrived not long after and Aelin’s mouth fell open. The place in front of her seemed like it came out from a fairy tale book. And she could not stop staring at how green and lush it was.  
“Welcome to the Fairy glen.”  
Aelin’s head whipped to his side “You are kidding.”  
“No, that its name.”  
He got off the car and reached her side “We’ll go for a short walk. We’ll stop again in Portree and have proper lunch there, but I had to show you this place.”  
Slowly they walked to the small hills. Aelin spotted what looked like the remains of a castle and was annoyed that she could not climb there.  
Rowan held her from behind and turned her “Look over there.” And he pointed at the big hill in the distance and Aelin spotted a few waterfalls “This place is amazing.”  
“Why is it called Fairy glen?”  
“Skye has a connection with the Fairies thanks to the Fairy flag at Dunvegan castle, which will visit when we come back.”  
“Is Schatach’s castle far away? According to the legends she was a warrior on the Isle of Skye and there should be a place called Dun Scaith which allegedly was her home.”  
His arms tightened around her, he loved her interest in Celtic mythology “It’s in the south. I’ll take you there when we come back. I promise.”  
Then he grabbed his backpack and took a couple of sandwiches from it “Sit down and have a little snack”  
He helped her sit down in the grass and she took food and strawberry milkshake from him.  
Once their breakfast was over Rowan helped Aelin to stand and hand in hand they walked around the glen and Rowan had to restrain Aelin from climbing in places where she shouldn’t “Seriously?” And he folded his arms at his chest.  
“Fine, I am not climbing.”  
They explored a bit longer and then Rowan pressed to go back in the car and on the road.  
“I was planning on getting into Portree for lunch. Fancy doing a very touristy thing?”  
“If I can get a fridge magnet, yes.”  
Rowan roared with laughter. That had become their recurrent joke “I think so and you will be able to get more once we are in Portree.”  
“Good. Our new fridge will be fully covered.”  
“I have not agreed to that.” He complained, giving her a smile at the same time.  
“Where are you taking me?”  
“We can take a detour to Carbost and we can have a tour of Talisker distillery. All the tourists go to whisky distilleries when they come to Scotland.”  
“Yes. I know I will not be able to drink but I don’t care. I always wanted to do it. Yes, let’s be tourists.”  
“As you wish, Fireheart.”  
An hour later they had arrived at the distillery and Aelin jumped out of the car “This is so awesome and I can smell the whisky.”  
Rowan took her hand and they walked in. The next tour would be in half an hour so they explored the shop and Aelin bought her magnets and a bottle of whisky for Aedion, she knew he’d love it. She just had to find a nice present for Lysandra now as a thank you for covering the shop.  
“Let’s go and sit outside, it’s gorgeous.”  
The view in front of the distillery was breathtaking. The loch in front of them seemed infinite and it was framed mountains in the background.  
Aelin ate another sandwich while suntanning. She had shed her hoodie and was in a t-shirt, her bump pointed at the sun “The girls and I are suntanning.”  
Rowan sat on the bench beside her and kissed the bump “how are you three doing?”  
“They are quiet. They kicked a couple of times but now they are probably snoozing.” And caressed the belly.  
“If you get tired you let me know. I have enough breaks planned so you don’t spend too much time sitting in the car.”  
“We are doing fine. I promise.” She brushed his hair. After her night trip to the A&E he had been even more over protective and his fussing levels had sky rocketed. But he had been wonderful to her. He had gotten her all the food she was craving and cooked for her all the recipes she wished. He was with her at every single appointment and he had started reading a lot of books about pregnancy and parenting. She had realised a while ago that Rowan had been brooding. He had confessed to her that he had wanted a family for a very long time and she knew that Lyria was against it and Aelin had a feeling that it had been one of the things that destroyed him the most about the failed relationship.  
“Let’s put the bag in the car and go for our tour.” He offered his hand and she took it and followed him. 

It was later when they came out of the distillery and Aelin was ecstatic. “I had no idea you guys had so many varieties of whisky and it was so fascinating.”  
He kissed her head “glad you loved it.”  
“One of the ladies in our group kept staring at you.”  
Rowan took her hand “Thank you for leaving her alive.”  
“She got some cold stares from me. Seriously woman, stop staring at another woman’s man.”  
“Let’s go, menace.”  
Aelin followed him back to the car and not long after they were on the road to Portree. Rowan had explained it was the main town and after a year on the islands she had an idea of what main town meant.  
Once in Portree, Rowan parked the car, Aelin grabbed her backpack and off they went. When in the main square, she noticed the tourist office and she dragged him inside explaining that that was the perfect place for another fridge magnet. Rowan sighed and followed her inside.  
He waited for her in a corner of the office and she came back later with a big bag.  
“That’s a bit of an oversized magnet.” He joked.  
“It’s Lys’ present. I got her a lovely bag made locally here on Skye. Lysandra loves bags and I know she will adore this one.”  
“It’s actually really nice.” He added, looking at the present she had bought.  
They dropped the bag in the car and Rowan had convinced her to put her stuff In his backpack so she didn’t have to carry anything. Once they were all sorted they walked to the marina and Aelin squealed when she saw the houses painted in pink and blue and green “That is so lovely.”  
For a while they followed the path along the marina until Rowan declared it was time to feed her and for her to sit down for a while.  
Aelin did not protest at the idea of food and followed him to his favourite seafood restaurant.  
The meal had been superb and Aelin leaned back on the chair with a satisfied smile on her face “I wonder if the desserts here are nice.”  
Rowan scoffed “How can you still have space?”  
“You should know that you have agreed to marry a bottomless pit.”  
Once lunch was over they were back in the car. Rowan had told her they were taking the ferry across to Mallaig instead of the bridge back to the mainland. They would do that on their way back. He had also explained that once across the water there were some amazing beaches they could stop to and have another break and Aelin was easy to convince.  
During the trip down to Armadale he had chatted away being her personal guide and she realised they might need a week just to explore Skye. She loved the islands but she realised there was so much on the mainland that a lifetime might not be enough “we should take breaks more often. There is so much to discover.”  
“We can definitely do that and it would be nice to travel with our two girls.”  
She put her hand on his knee and in that moment one of the girls or both kicked “They agree.”  
“Are they moving?”  
Aelin smiled as his hand moved to the bump.  
“Every singe time, it amazes me.” And she saw love in his eyes “It just the idea that there are two small human beings growing inside you. It’s just… incredible.”  
She took his hand and kissed it “just don’t be too in awe. You will be less impressed by the process when you will see how it happens, live.”  
“I will be in awe of you and what you will do.”  
She turned to him and blew him a kiss “You will be such a loving dad.”  
“I will do my best.”

They were just about to dock in Mallaig when Aelin’s phone went off and she noticed it was Lysandra.  
“Hi Lys, how are you doing?”  
“ _I am doing amazing and the shop is fine. I had a busy morning and I had no idea how fun it was to work in a bookstore. Tell Rowan the shop is fine and that I had good sales as well_.”  
“He will be happy to hear that.” Aelin gave Rowan the thumbs up after she noticed the worry in his face when she said it was Lys on the phone.  
“ _How are you guys doing?”_  
“We are about to dock on the mainland in Mallaig. The weather down here is amazing and we are having fun.”  
“ _Gotta go. Customers. Keep me posted._ ” Lysandra hung up and Aelin followed Rowan back to the car “Lys says the shop is fine and that she had a busy morning with good sales and that she is having a great time.”  
Rowan laughed “good. You can tell her that she can keep being my interim assistant until she gets a job at the hospital. It seems like she has a knack as well. She might want to keep busy and well, I need an assistant and we could not find anyone I liked so…”  
“You had very high standards.”  
“No. I just wanted someone who had a bit of interest and willingness to work.”  
“Time to drive, old man.” Joked Aelin when one of the car deck crew motioned them to move forward and disembark.  
They drove for a very short distance until Rowan pulled in, in a car park. Aelin was giddy, while they were driving past Morar bay, her face was attached to the window. There were sands everywhere, but Rowan kept driving. She was dying to get off the car. She new he was trying to get them as close as possible to their destination. Walking for long was getting very problematic for her so he was just being his thoughtful self.  
Once at the car park, she opened the door as soon as the car stopped and was out.  
“Come on, Buzzard. I need to go to the beach.”  
He grabbed the backpack and put a hat on her head “Now we can go.”  
She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the small path. Usually he was the guide, but when it came to beaches, she was the one leading the way. Rowan would joke saying that she would smell beaches like a bloodhound.  
Aelin stopped when the beach finally appeared in front of her. It was not Luskentyre but the water was still crystal blue and the sand white.  
“This is Camusdarach beach.”  
Aelin toed off her shoes and started walking to the water. Rowan picked up the shoes and followed her. By the time he got there, she was already in the water, waves gently brushing her ankles.  
“Come on, this is beautiful.”  
Rowan smiled and toed off his shoes as well, dropped his backpack on the sand and joined her in the water, right behind her with his arms folding on her bump.  
His smell of pine engulfed her and Aelin leaned against his chest “I am glad Elide and Lorcan are getting married and invited us, it gave us a lovely excuse for this amazing trip.”  
Hand in hand they walked the length of the beach and eventually Rowan dragged her back on the sand and they sat down enjoying the sun. Aelin started playing with the sand and began building a sand castle and Rowan joined her a bit later.  
“Aelin’s castle.”  
After her castle was finished, Rowan pulled her down on the sand and he rolled to the side, facing her “thank you for not giving up on me.”  
“You were a bit of a hopeless case,” she added, flicking his nose “but being cute saved you.”  
“Just cute?” He pouted.  
“Fine, as Lys would say, you are sex on two legs.”  
“Poor Aedion.”  
“Ach, she just looks. She loves him.”  
His hand caressed her face “You can look as well, but remember that I exist. I can be jealous too.”  
Aelin snuggled closer and five minutes later she was snoozing and Rowan let her. They had a very early start and he wanted her to relax as much as she could.  
He rolled back on his back but then sat up and kept playing with the sand castle she had built.  
When she woke up it was an hour later.  
“Hello, sleeping beauty.”  
“Did I just fell asleep on the sand?”  
He leaned forward to kiss her “that you did.”  
“And you let me?”  
“Yes.”  
Aelin fought to stand but failed miserably so Rowan helped her.  
“We can’t waste too much time dillydallying. We need to hit the road again.” She tried to bend over to grab her shoes but she had no such luck.  
Rowan stood and patted the sand away from her and squeezed her ass in the meantime.  
“Aye, aye captain.” He said picking up her shoes and patting the sand away from him as well.  
Ten minutes later they were back on the road and Aelin was happily sipping on her smoothie.  
“This road we are on is called the road to the isle because it’s the road that connects Fort William to Mallaig where you can get the ferry to the islands.”  
“Were you a Harry Potter fan?” He asked.  
“Not really. I have only seen the movies to keep company to Lysandra. Why?”  
“There is one place on our way that became quite famous in one of the movies.”  
“Oh, the viaduct?” She asked. Lysandra on the other hand, was obsessed with Harry Potter and they had watched the movies together. “Lys is a huge Harry Potter fan and since I haven’t read the books she convinced me to at least to watch the movie. She had told me the viaduct was in Scotland.”  
“We will pass Glenfinnan and if you want we can stop there.”  
“Yes, I need to take a picture for Lys.”  
They arrived at the site half an hour later and Rowan parked in a small car park and Aelin could see the viaduct in the distance.  
“There is a visitor centre and you can get your magnet there.” He joked and they started the walk to the viaduct and Aelin took a lot of photos and started sending them to Lys via WhatsApp.  
“Were you a Harry Potter fan?” She took his hand.  
Rowan shook his head “I read the books just to see what all the fuss was about but I never got into them. Not my kind of thing.”  
“You could be a Slytherin.” Added Aelin looking at him with a wicked smile.  
Rowan looked away for a moment “Lyria made me took a test. She was into the books. I was sorted in Slytherin.”  
Aelin lifted the hands they were holding to his mouth and kissed his “Let me guess, the bitch was a Gryffindor.”  
Rowan laughed “that she was.”  
“As if I needed another reason to hate her.”  
Rowan squeezed her hand “you don’t like them?”  
“I hate them. And I hate Potter. He is the most annoying, most useless and most boring character ever written.” She confessed “Lys made me take the test and I am a Slytherin too, Lys is a Ravenclaw and Aedion is alas, a Gryffindor.”  
“Poor Lys.”  
They finally arrived under the viaduct and Aelin took a picture of her holding the pylons of the viaduct.  
“This is quite impressive. Do train actually run on it?”  
Rowan nodded “The regular Scotrail trains from Glasgow to Mallaig come through here but from Fort William there is also the Jacobite steam train, which by the way was used in Harry Potter 2, and it’s a very fancy train that runs twice a day.”  
“That must be one heck of a gorgeous train ride.”  
“It is, I have done it a few times, the regular train, I mean. Probably one of the most stunning we have in Scotland.”  
He started walking back and took her hand again.  
“Lys is saying that she is so jealous right now and told me that I am lucky girls because my fiancé is not a Gryffindor.”  
“Come on Buzzard, I have a few tacky things to buy.” She pulled him toward the visitor centre.  
Slowly they got back to the car and Rowan drove the small distance back to the visitor centre. He parked there and Aelin went inside the shop and bought stuff for her and Lysandra and got back to him who was waiting for her outside. Together they walked to the monument standing in front of Loch Shiel and sat down at the table at the viewpoint  
“Remember the scene in the third Harry Potter movie when Harry flies on the big flying creature whose name I can’t remember?”  
Aelin nodded.  
“This is the loch in the scene.” He looked at her puzzled expression “I only know because I have a book in the shop about movie locations in Scotland and in the summer is quite popular with tourists and once I had a look through it out of curiosity.”  
“I need to read it next time I am in.”  
He sat down beside her and pulled her close “How are you feeling? Are you tired?”  
“Are you joking? This is amazing. I will sleep tonight. I have a feeling I will be out as soon as I hit the bed but for now I am fine. Really, Ro.”  
He grabbed his backpack and opened it “Are you hungry?”  
She nodded and Rowan offered her another sandwich and Aelin munched away while taking in the incredible view in front of her.  
“Did Elide tell you where they are getting married?”  
Aelin nodded “The cloisters at Glasgow University. I have no idea what it is, but I assume you know. But Elide told me that she loves that place so much and felt like it was a cool place where to get married. They don’t have a large numbers of people so we will fit.”  
Rowan had a large smile “It was and still is one of my favourite places around the University and once we are there you will know why. I will take you there tomorrow. Our accommodation is very close by to the university so got very lucky.”  
“She said that they are having the reception inside the centre hall at Kelvingrove art gallery.”  
Rowan laughed “they have amazing taste. That’s all I am saying right now.”  
“I googled some pictures and they are amazing sites.” Then she looked up to him “are you looking forward being back in Glasgow?”  
Rowan nodded “I love the islands but I have some great memories of the city.”  
Eventually Rowan stood “Let’s go. We still have a very long drive. I want to show you Glen Coe before we continue our drive south.”  
They got back in the car and on the road “sleep a bit, “said Rowan caressing her head “it will take us about an hour to reach Glen Coe.”  
Aelin blew him a kiss and did as was told and woke up only when Rowan nudged her awake.  
She opened her eyes and gasped at the beautiful view in front of her.  
“We are driving through Glen Coe.”  
“I am speechless.”  
“It’s quite incredible, I agree.”  
A few minutes later Rowan stopped the car and he got out and motioned for Aelin to follow him. They both sat on the hood of the car and he put an arm around her shoulder, “see this three ridges in front of us?”  
Aelin nodded.  
“They are called the three sisters of Glen Coe.”  
“That’s a cute name.”  
“Did they film anything in GlenCoe? It seems like such an mazing film locations,” she asked curious.  
“Tons of stuff, actually. Some more of the Harry Potter movies, some bits of Braveheart, one of the James Bond movies, Skyfall I think, and another one I remember is Monthy Python and the Holy Grail.”  
“I really need to read your book.”  
They sat in silence for a moment, then Rowan pushed her to go back into the car “Come on. We’ll have a last stop in Balloch and then from there we will do the last leg to Glasgow.”  
They got back in the car and Aelin was asleep again within minutes and he let her sleep. From time to time he brushed his hand on her bump but the twins seemed asleep as well.  
She woke up again much later “where are we?” She asked with a sleepy voice.  
“Near Tarbert, we are on Loch Lomond.”  
Aelin smiled “there is a song.” And she started fiddling with his mp3 player to find the song. A couple of minutes later she found it and pressed play and Rowan smiled fondly. He had created a monster in terms of music.  
Aelin started singing and he laughed.  
“ _You’ll take the high road, and I’ll take the low road and I’ll be in Scotland afore ye. Where me and my true love will never meet again on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond._ ”  
“You know this is a sad song, right?”  
“I know I read the meaning behind it but it’s so good. I love it so much.”  
Once in Balloch, Rowan took Aelin for a walk into Balloch castle country park but when he noticed her trailing behind slowly he called it a day and decided they were going back to the car and drive the last leg to Glasgow. She was getting tired and he felt as if he had pushed her enough although he was alway careful and walked always short distances.  
Aelin slept until Rowan woke her up announcing they were arrived at the hotel.  
“We are in Glasgow?”  
He kissed her “yes, we made it.”  
She gave him a big smile and slowly got out of the car, grabbed her backpack and followed him. Rowan unloaded the bags and they got inside the hotel and at the receptions. She let Rowan check them in. She was feeling tired and only wanted to take a shower and collapse in bed.  
Once in their bedroom Aelin sat on the bed and then lay down heavily under Rowan’s worried stare “are you sure you are okay?”  
“Yeah, a shower and a nap and I will be okay.”  
Rowan had a look in the bathroom “even better, you can take a relaxing bath and if you behave I might join you. I am pretty wiped as well.”  
At that statement Aelin stood and went to open the taps in the bathtub “no take backs.”  
Fifteen minutes later they were both in the tub, Rowan behind her and he was washing her hair and then her back “That’s not fair, I can only wash your legs.” Then she leaned back against him and he purred.  
“Will you manage to go out for dinner or shall we order in?”  
Aelin shook her head “I want to go out. Do we have to go very far?”  
“No, it’s a twenty minutes walk. Or we can walk five minutes and take the underground for one stop. There is a lovely area for food in Hillhead, the uni area. There is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant that I adore and I haven’t been there in a lifetime. Or we can try something else. Whichever takes your fancy.”  
“Vietnamese sounds perfection. But can we do the half walk half underground option?”  
“I would drive but parking is a nightmare in that area.”  
She took his hands and placed them on her bump “half and half is perfect.”  
Rowan kissed her neck caressed her bump when he felt a kick.  
“I think we are getting close to the stage when they will be able to hear sounds. Their ears should be formed by now and they will hear muffled sounds from outside.”  
“I need to go back reading to them.” He asked tugging her even closer.  
“I’d love that. But only stories with badass females.”  
“Of course and I’ll make sure I will read them about their namesakes.”  
“Morrigan is going to hate us for her name as soon as she discovers where it comes from.”  
Rowan kissed her head “We can change it.” But Aelin shook her head in dissent “I adore it.”  
They cuddled in the bathtub a bit longer but when the water started to cool down Rowan ordered them to get out.  
Aelin, in her bathrobe collapsed in bed. It was still far too early to go out for dinner so they were going to chill out in bed. Rowan had driven all day and she was positive he was exhausted as well.  
He joined her in bed and snuggled against her “What are you doing?”  
Aelin took her phone “what’s the name of the restaurant?”  
“Hanoi bike shop.”  
“That’s a very random name.”  
Rowan chuckled “look at some photos and you will see why.”  
Aelin did that “oh wow. The place looks amazing. There are actually pieces of bikes hanging… and look at the lanterns.”  
“And their food is delicious.”  
“Let me see the menu.”  
She was too busy browsing her phone to notice that Rowan had fallen asleep in her arms. She set an alarm for half past six and cuddled against him and placed one of his hands on the bump, then kissed his head and slept a while as well.

She woke again five minutes before the alarm was meant to go off. Rowan was still fast asleep and she felt horrible at the idea of waking him up but her stomach was grumbling and she was getting hungry.  
She kissed him gently and brushed a hand through his hair and slowly he woke.  
“Hi you.”  
“Hey,” his voice still gruff “did I fall asleep?”  
“Like a baby” she kissed him “I didn’t want to wake you but I am starving.”  
Rowan laughed and rolled on his back. A second later he was off the bed and went to the suitcase to grab some clothes “Come on, let’s get you fed, then we can come back and relax.”  
Ten minutes later they were both ready and outside.  
Aelin had a look and in the distance she noticed a park. Rowan had told her they were near his uni.  
They walked for a bit along Sauchienall st. until in the distance she noticed some amazing buildings and pulled him to walk faster.  
Rowan stopped her and went back into guide mode. He went behind her and took her arm and pointed “that, is Glasgow university. And this amazing red building in front of us is Kelvingrove museum. Glasgow uni is the second oldest uni in Scotland dating to 1451 and the fourth oldest in the UK.”  
“I am jealous. I went to a modern uni. Yours looks amazing.”  
“We’ll have a proper look tomorrow, same for the museum.”  
They reached the underground and while they were waiting Rowan explained that it was a circular line and they only had the inner and outer circle. And that the only mistake you could make was to take the wrong one and having to go all the way around before reaching your destination. The whole concept puzzled her, behind used to the London tube and all.  
Once out of the subway the restaurant was at a minute walk and Aelin loved the place already.  
The restaurant was busy but they did manage to get a seat. Aelin would have killed if they told her that there was no space. She was now dead set on that restaurant and did not want to go somewhere else. She had already studied the menu in full.  
An hour later Aelin relaxed back satisfied. The meal had been wonderful and after her dessert she finally felt full “I think we can walk back to the hotel, I ate too much and I need to walk it off.”  
Rowan laughed “are you sure?”  
It took them forty minutes to walk back to the hotel. Aelin had decided to be brave and walk and she soon realised it had been a very bad idea. Rowan had tried to convince her to at least take the subway again but she had been stubborn. Rowan knew she was struggling but had given up when he suggested a taxi and he got a deadly glare from her.  
They were finally in front of the hotel and Rowan relaxed a bit.  
“Don’t.” She snapped.  
“What?”  
“You have a ‘I told you so face’ I know, I was stubborn and now I am paying for it. Now stop gloating.”  
He gave her his hand “Come on, Fireheart, I am curious to see which funny pj you have with you tonight.”  
Aelin took his hand and followed him to the lift.  
Once in the room, Aelin threw herself on the bed but Rowan grabbed her hands “get changed first.” Then he let her go and grabbed her suitcase and placed it on the bed “come on, jammies on and then bed.”  
“Can we cuddle? Perhaps with a back massage.”  
“That can be arranged, but I need you in your jammies to do that.”  
Aelin dragged herself up and grabbed her night clothes from her bag and got changed and Rowan did the same and both get ready for bed.  
Rowan was the first one under the blankets and once she joined him he pulled her to him, her belly facing him. His hands went to her back and started rubbing the sore spots.  
Aelin melted in his arms.  
“Thank you for today,” she mumbled against his chest, snuggling against him a bit more.  
She felt a kiss on her head and then laughed when he felt a kick “I think our girls had a great time as well.”  
“They did, but now they are exhausted like mum.”  
Rowan pulled her down to an horizontal position “Turn around,” he said to her when he noticed she was not on her left side.  
“But I want to face you.”  
“You know the left side is the recommended position. Turn around.”  
He helped her and once she was settled he climbed over and lay down in front of her “Sorted.”  
“You are such a mama hen.” She joked, running her hand through his hair. “Your hair is getting longer.”  
“I was thinking about letting it grow. What do you think?”  
Aelin kissed him “very naughty thoughts right now.”  
Rowan laughed “I used to have them to my shoulder when I was t uni. Not practical for swimming but I loved it.”  
“I can braid it.” She smiled “Please let it grow back.”  
He leaned forward and gave her a kiss back “As you wish, my Queen.” Then he took her hand and placed it on his heart “Now sleep, please.” He told her gently, closing her eyes with her fingers. Then his arm reached out over her and pulled her as close as possible.  
“Goodnight,” he whispered to his favourite women.


End file.
